Youth Leader Appeals To MP Sam George To Do More For Prampam As The Community Celebrates Homowo Festival
Mr. Eugene Charway Mantey, Youth Leader of Ningro-Prampram Constituency, is urging the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Hon. Sam George, to try as much as possible to do his best for the youth in the area to benefit from economic activities.
According to him, the idleness of the youth contributed heavily to the high level of crime in the constituency including killings and robberies.
Mr. Eugene Charway Mantey made these statements during the official launch of the Homowo Festival for the Prampram area.
The launch was also used to announce official activities lined up for the celebrations.
This year's Prampram Homowo is under the distinguished Royal Patronage of Nene Atsure benta III, the Chief of Ningo Prampram and Head of the traditional council.
The concerned youth leader also appealed to the Chiefs and people of the area to make Prampram the best destination for peace and development.
"As a youth leader for this area, I know all the challenges in this area; we know the MP is doing his best but we need more interventions to engage the growing jobless youth in the area. I believe this would go a long way to reduce crime.
...As we celebrate the Homowo festival I urge all the people and the chiefs of Prampram to use this occasion and reflect on the peace and unity we need to make this area the best of all destinations," Mr. Eugene Charway Mantey
The Homowo festival is a harvest festival celebrated by the people of the Ga Traditional Area, in the Greater Accra Region.
It originated from a period of great famine which was eventually followed by a bumper harvest in grain and fish. Thus, the word "Homowo", literally means "hooting at hunger".
The main highlight of this month-long festival is the special dish prepared from ground corn, steamed and mixed with palm oil and eaten with palmnut soup. Prayers for a peaceful and prosperous year are offered.
Each Ga chief is followed by a retinue with drumming, dancing and singing through his area where he sprinkles some of the special dish called "kpokpoi" and pours libation. It is merry-making for Gas, and visitors in particular are invited home to join in the feasting.
The festival is organized at varying times by different quarters of the Ga tribe and celebrated with the sprinkling of ‘Kpokpoe’ [a mixture of palm soup and ground corn] by the traditional authorities.
The Ga-Mashie group celebrates the festival first followed by other towns including the La and Teshie groups.
Homowo recounts the migration of the Gas and reveals their agricultural success in their new settlement.
According to Ga oral tradition, a severe famine broke out among the people during their migration to present day Accra.
They were inspired by the famine to embark on massive food production exercises which eventually yielded them bumper harvests.
Their hunger ended and with great joy, they “hooted at hunger.”