Professor defends libation pouring

Ho, March 31, GNA - Professor Kwakuvi Azasu, a lecturer at the University College of Education, Winneba, has described customary rites,   such as the pouring of libation before and after traditional functions, as a divine right ordained by God.

He said African traditional religion is intrinsically linked to some rites which is celebrated annually by the Jews, Japanese Chinese, and Australians, does not connote anything fetish,   as is being misconstrued by present day Christians.

Prof. Azasu made these remarks during the celebration of the national convention of the Africkania Mission in Ho, under the theme: 'Uniting Traditionalists for Development'.

He asked religious bodies not to interfere in ancient rites preceding the celebration of festivals.

'The opponents of the African Traditional religion have curiously never addressed the question of whether it is appropriate for Christians to travel to fetch river Jordan in someone's country when we have river Pra, Bosumtwi, Densu, Ayensu and others which were all created by God,' he stressed.

The professor said 'it is therefore unfortunate for the present Christians who are using desperate means to make money out of the ignorant masses to try and impose or dictate a new method of worshiping God'.

Osofo Komfo Atsu Kove, Head of the Afrikania Mission,   expressed gratitude to the late Osofo Dr Kwabena Damuah, who took bold steps to throw the Bible and Roman Catholic cassock back to the imperialists, and founded the Afrikania Mission which had existed till now.

He said the imperialists need to acknowledge the fact that our ancestors knew God long before the Christian Missionaries arrived on our shores'.

The head of the Afrikania Mission said, 'how could true African scholars cheaply agreed that it was the Christian missionaries who introduced God to Africans'.

'It is very pathetic that even though Africa is blessed with many natural resources, yet Africans' behave like the proverbial hunter who carries a game of elephant on his head, but still chases a grasshopper, adding that, we have been misled into alienating ourselves from God,' he stressed.

Osofo Kove said, 'it is the biggest insult to the dignity of Africans and for that matter Ghanaians, to fall on leaders of foreign religions at state functions for prayer while prohibiting our holy libation prayer.'

Mr Francis Ganyaglo, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, expressed the hope that Afrikania Mission had not forget their traditional religion,   and urged them to continue to educate the people about the traditional rites and functions.

GNA