Stool father of the Prampram Paramount Area in the Greater Accra Region, Numo Osabu Abbey IV, has petitioned the offices of the Interior Minister, the IGP and the Regional Security Council to as a matter of urgency, place a ban on public sprinkling of kpokpoi during the Homowo celebration.
The Prampram Traditional Area celebrates the Homowo on August 24, this year, and to Numo Abbey IV, there are protracted chieftaincy disputes in Prampram and considering the different aggrieved factions in the area, the sprinkling of the traditional dish could result in bloodbath.
In a statement signed by the Prampram Paramount Stool Father, together with heads of all three royal gates namely, the Abbey-Doku Mansro We, Tetteh Dzan-Larbi Agbo We and Kwei Opletu We, he cited past events which were characterised by bloody clashes due to the refusal of one Tetteh Wakah, a claimant to the Prampram stool, to adhere to a security directive banning the open sprinkling of kpokpoi.
Flashback of Homowo celebration at Prampram.
According to the statement, the 2019 Homowo celebration in Prampram, which nearly claimed the life of some citizens, following a bloody clash instigated by some suspected mercenaries imported into the community by the said imposter, Tetteh Wakah, in his bid to flout a police directive not to openly sprinkle kpokpoi, should serve as reference for the Regional Security Council to impose such a ban during the celebration of this year’s Homowo festival.
“It would be recalled that, the 2019 Homowo celebration in Prampram was riddled with clashes between suspected armed individuals who were working as guards to the said Tetteh Wakah, a claimant to the Prampram stool, and some indegenes who were protesting his open sprinkling of kpokpoi in the community, despite a police directive banning that activity. But for the timely response by personnel from the Tema Regional Police Command and the First Infantry Regiment, the situation could have turned into a bloodbath.
“In view of these scenarios and also a public statement attributed to the said Tetteh Wakah, warning mayhem, should anyone prevent him from sprinkling kpokpoi this year, the Prampram stool father, Numo Osabu Abbey IV believes it would be prudent on the part of the Interior Minister, IGP and the Regional/District Security Councils to ban the open sprinkling of kpokpoi during this year’s festival in order to ensure peace there,” the statement said.
Numo Abbey IV also stressed on the need for security council to act as a supervisory body in this year’s Homowo celebration in the area, repeating that: “Prampram has no chief or a President to head the Traditional Council.”
By: Umar Sheriff Musah