Otuopai celebrates Homowo

Accra, Aug. 7, GNA - Nii Tetteh Tsuru II, Otuopai Mantse of the Gbese Division of Ga Mashie on Saturday called on the Ga Traditional Council to institute effective laws to protect family lands from being sold to developers without the consent of the families.

He said there had not been any accountability in most of the lands sold and as a result, most families did not benefit from the sale. Nii Tsuru said this when he led sub-chiefs and people of the Division to perform the traditional rites and the sprinkling of "kpokpoi" in ancestral homes and on some streets around the Otuopai Mantse Palace.

The kpokpoi, which is corn dour mixed with palm oil is the traditional food of the Gas and features prominently in the celebration of the Homowo festival.

This year's festival also marked the 11th year of the installation of Nii Tsuru II as Otuopai Mantse.

Hundreds of people dressed in their traditional attire of red headgears, red clothes and beads converged and milled around the palace while Asofo drums sounded unendingly accompanied with dancing and jubilation while the Asafoatsemei who are the traditional warriors fired musketry's amidst the drumming and singing of war songs.

Nii Tsuru II, who is also the Mankralo of the Gbese Division, also called for peace and unity among Gas in the traditional area as they celebrates this year's Homowo and expressed the hope that next year's celebration would be a bigger event.