Libation is our soul

 
The Akan concept of libation begins with the linguist showing the glass containing alcohol upwards, and stating 'Otwerampong, Yekyere Wo Nsa, Yemma Wo Nsa; (Supreme being we only show you drink, we do not offer you drink).

The idea is that we mortals cannot go out of our way to offer drink to the almighty. The linguist then invokes the names of our ancestors and smaller gods, who we believe, are our link to the supreme being, to come for drink and carry our message to Him.

This nation attained independence a secular state. I am not aware of any Referendum, Act of Parliament or Legislative Instrument issued from the seat of Government to change the nation's status. In tune with this concept of allowing every one of us to believe in his or her religion of his or her choice, state functions have tended to begin with three religious prayers.

It has been the practice since independence to offer Christian and Muslim prayers. Invariably, the highlight is the pouring of libation. That is our indigenous worship. It has been with us since time immemorial.

Of late, however, it is beginning to look like the pouring of libation, for which the Ga Wulomo, the Chief Priest of the Ga state had always featured, is being kicked out of state functions.

On Sunday, March 6, 2011, Ghana was 54 years as a nation-state. As has become normal with our independence day celebration, a colourful march past of school children and the security services took centre stage of the celebration at the Independence Square in Accra and at various Jubilee centres around the country.

The ceremony in Accra was ushered in with both Christian and Muslim prayers. Unfortunately, there was no pouring of libation. My information is that Ga customary practices, which normally feature in the celebration in Accra, especially, was conspicuously absent. And the Ga State is offended.

No official reason has been assigned. Of late, however, there has been agitation by some Christian fundamentalists that the pouring of libation, which is authentically African, should be abolished from state functions.

In their narrow concept of God, the creator of heaven and earth, these Christian fundamentalists, many of whom feed fat on the Word of God, claim that the pouring of libation  is a pagan practice. Unfortunately, the highest office of the land seems to be buying into this myopic view.

I have not heard anything from the Presidency. But I can deduce that the idea to discontinue may not be unconnected to the Head of State's Christian value system of late.

When then Candidate John Evans Atta Mills won the controversial re-run vote of December 2008, he attributed his success to the magic wand of T.B. Joshua. At one point in time, information filtering through indicated that nothing of substance happened at the Castle without the blessing of T.B. Joshua. I have absolutely no problem with that, if the rest of society is not made to feel so.

Belief is entirely a private affair. That is why it is not right for the entire people of Ghana to be made to tow a certain line of belief. I must admit I was not in church on Sunday. I learn from a friend who did, that most churches read a special message from state authorities, asking the people of Ghana to fast and pray for Ghana.

I have no problem if individuals decide to pray or meditate for the state and its failed leadership. But when it becomes a state policy that all Ghanaians ought to become Christian fundamentalists overnight, I have a serious problem with that.

The experience in this country is that religious fundamentalism reigns when the art of governance gets tough. In the latter days of the Nkrumah era, television and the newspapers were full of pictures of the former President, meditating at beaches in the Western Region.  It did not take too long for his Government to be overthrown.

In the 1970s, when General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, then Chairman of the Supreme Military Council was facing serious agitation of discontent, a number of so-called men and women of God were brought in to pontificate on why Union Government was ordained by God.

The most famous (or was it infamous?) of them all was Clara Prophet, who virtually re-wrote the Holy Trinity.  In the doctrine according to Clara Prophet, Father represented the Military, students of Ghana, who were then agitating for the removal of General Acheampong were classified as the Son, while the general civil society stood for the Holy Ghost.

Needless to state that Acheampong lost the March 30 Referendum, tried to cheat his way to victory, and was deposed in a palace coup in July 1978. On June 4, 1979, junior ranks of the Ghana Armed Forces seized power in a bloody uprising that brought Jerry John Rawlings to power.

Gen. Acheampong was executed with six other senior officers of his government. One of the mysteries of the executions was how Lt-Gen Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa, who staged the 1966 coup that overthrew Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and had long retired from the military and Government, was also tied to the stakes and executed.

By this narration, I am seeking to bring it home to President Atta Mills and those fundamentalist Christians underpinning his reign that religious beliefs cannot be forced on anyone.

It must also be drummed home that pouring of libation is authentically African. This is what sets us apart from Europeans, for instance. I do not for any reason believe it is a pagan practice. It is our belief that God is so supreme and omnipotent that we mortals cannot reach him on our own.

We are of the view that our ancestors are the living link with the Supreme Being. The words chanted while pouring libation lays everything bare.

The Akan concept of libation begins with the linguist showing the glass containing alcohol upwards, and stating 'Otwerampong, Yekyere Wo Nsa, Yemma Wo Nsa; (Supreme being we only show you drink, we do not offer you drink).

The idea is that we mortals cannot go out of our way to offer drink to the almighty. The linguist then invokes the names of our ancestors and smaller gods, who we believe, are our link to the supreme being, to come for drink and carry our message to Him.

It is akin to Lucky Mensah looking for Tawiah to send his 'Nkratow' to Atta. Tawiah is the link between the singer and Atta, who obviously is higher in rank than the singer.