Leader of the taskforce set up by the Ga Mashie Traditional Council, Asafoatse Mankatta, has revealed that 15 churches, including Lighthouse Chapel, Calvary Baptist Church are being questioned for flouting the ban on noise-making and drumming.

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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has placed a ban on drumming and noise-making in the capital beginning Monday, May 12, to June 12 during the Nmaa Dumↄ period, as per the customs of the Ga Traditional Council.

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The leadership of the churches is expected to appear before the council on May 22 over the matter. According to Mankatta, failure to honour the request will result in dire consequences.

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He expressed disappointment over the gross disrespect for the customs and traditions of the Ga culture.

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“We have great respect for Calvary Baptist Church, but we were surprised to see them violating the orders of the Traditional Council; they were making noise as if there was nothing at stake,” he is quoted to have said by MyJoyOnline.

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The AMA has prohibited the use of loudspeakers placed outside churches, mosques, pubs, and other areas.

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The one-month ban affects funeral rites and all related activities. A designated task force made up of AMA personnel, the Ghana Police Service, and representatives from the Traditional Councils is expected to enforce the ban.

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The Homowo Festival holds deep significance for the Ga people, as it marks their victory over famine and celebrates a season of plenty. The quiet period observed before the festivities offers a moment for introspection ahead of the vibrant and jubilant events.

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This practice, which began years ago, also impacts Ghana’s religious communities, many of which have grown over the past few decades by incorporating modern worship practices.

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The Ghana Statistical Service’s 2021 census shows that 32% of the population are Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians, 17% Protestants, 10% Catholic, and 20% Muslim, many of whom rely heavily on music and drumming as part of their religious life.

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Tension arose about 20 years ago when some Pentecostal and Charismatic churches ignored the noise ban, leading to confrontations with the Ga community.

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Outraged by what they saw as disrespect to sacred customs, some Ga youth retaliated by attacking churches. This ignited a period of conflict that highlighted a deeper struggle between the preservation of traditional Ga culture and the constitutional right to religious freedom.

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Over the years, a number of churches have been fined and had their musical equipment confiscated for violating the ban on noise-making and drumming.

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