Royal Gulf Club of Accra

NII GUATE SPRINKLE KPOIKPOI AS GUA KPAKPATSE WE AND DANTU WE CELEBRATE HOMOWO

Sometimes the things that become significant and meaningful to the people in the community as a whole are things that are ordained from heaven. It should therefore be of no surprise to the world at large that once again, Nii Guate Asuasa Ekasee Akor, the Spiritual Leader and Custodian of the Ancient Gua War Stool, has proved himself a real force to reckon.
From my reliable sources, the Elders said “No, this has never been seen nor captured before in this time.’ Says Alhaji Qassim Kwatelai Quartey the 85 year old Family Head of the Gua Kpakpatse We Royal Household. Such a peaceful celebration has not been seen before in Gua We much more in the whole of Ga Mashie in recent times. But was it not the same with his ordination, enthronement and his everyday activities? All the events and activities that have been identified with Nii Guate have been peaceful, honorable and successful.
Despite the Gbese conflict and all the chieftaincy disputes, he has remained without a single blemish till date. All he has done is to attempt bringing all the factions to discussion tables to resolve their issues and to ensure that the community sees peace, while conscientizing the youth to be responsible and empowering them to take up the mantle of leadership from the Elders. No wonder Nii Guate is becoming a household name in Bukum and its surroundings.
On the 25th of July 2009, in accordance with the Sakumo We Spiritual Calendar, the people of Gua Kpakpatse We and their maiden household, Dantu We, celebrated this year’s homowo to pave the way for the rest of the Ga community to celebrate their’s respectively as custom demands.
But to be seen dressed in Daama amidst heavy musketeering, with Asafoatse Mei, Wonyee, families and their Heads as well as the general public from Gbese all the way to Ngleshie following Nii to sprinkle the spiritual food Kpoikpoi and Palm soup, has opened a new page in the reign of Nii Guate as Gua Wolomo and Akwashon Tse. This is especially so when an injunction has been placed barring all Chiefs from attempting to sprinkle Kpoikpoi during the during the Ga-Mashie Homowo on 8th August 2009. This raises questions about the legibility of the said Chiefs-in-Council.
The dress code was red and black to represent the Asere. It was a glamorous day. As early as five o’clock am the households were in full ritual and rites performance to invoke the spirits and ancestry to come and shower blessings and to lead the day’s event. And to receive thanks and praises for another year gone by.
Since the early part of May 2009, Nii Guate has been seriously preparing towards the Homowo from the Ban on Noise-making (Shibaa) till the ban was lifted (Odadaa) to the Nai We ritual of Sea Purification. The day was simply to climax all these activities.
Since the ban on Noise-making was lifted peacefully however, the world has been waiting to see what would happen next. To his Council and members of the various households, it was no surprise to see Nii Guate leading the procession to sprinkle the Kpoikpoi. But not before the acting Dantu We Tse and people have come to take their share of the food for sprinkling from their male counterparts at Gua Kpakpatse We as custom demands. To the on-lookers, it was as if Nii had wheels under his Ahenema (Footwear). He dazzled the crowd and neighborhood like a boxer amidst incarntations, gunfire, and heavy police escort, sprinkling Kpoikpoi at every significant and historic place in Ga–Mashie. From Falcon Cliff through Agbon We; down Obolo Afia We at Palladium through Agbon Kwatei We; Bannerman Road back through Kwatie Kojo Street at Bukom; to the durbar grounds in the Tempong Mei, in front of Dantu We. The afternoon’s durbar was to climax the day’s event and to declare the Homowo celebrations officially opened. It started with a special libation and prayer by Nii Guate. This was to pave the way for peace, unity, a bumper fish harvest as well as plentiful crop harvest and prosperity for the Ga peoples.
Nii Otintoh II, the newly crowned Sempe Mantse was there to grace the occasion and the presence of dignitaries from foreign Missions, Ministers, Government Officials, members of the Royal household as well as well-wishers was spectacular. There were speeches made by the American Ambassador to Ghana, the Minister for information and a Presidential representative. But what did Nii have for his people?
The theme for his message was “Youth Empowerment and Conscientization”. As calm as ever, Nii Guate thanked the people for coming with him and having faith in him. The speech was to the admiration of all. For a man who is custodian to the ancient Gua War Stool, I am proud to say he was ordained by God and not man. He commands a kind of respect that Chiefs pay to be accorded and yet in all this and at all times he stays calm, composed and very inspiring.
He called for the youth to be assertive and disciplined and encouraged the quest for academic excellence, knowledge and high moral standards. It is his wish that the years ahead will only bring progress and development to the community.
We thank the Honorable Minister for Information Mrs. Zeta Okaikoi for coming to chair the day’s event. We hope when we call on her in future, she will pay heed to us. We also compliment all the members of the Homowo Planning Committee, Sheba, Dinah, Watchi, Armah, Ike, RECT Academy and the whole township.
We give special thanks to the officials of Village Communication who have been with us throughout the planning and execution of this program as well as Crown Apartmento Hotel for all the support. We show gratitude to the Cultural Troupe from Odorgonno Senior High School for coming to grace the occasion.
The question then is why Nii Guate has not received the recognition that he truly deserves? The Elders have already dubbed this year’s Homowo peaceful and gracious. Where did they get their facts from? Is someone using Nii Guate’s activities to their advantage? The questions are endless.
For a man with so much power spiritually and physically, it is gracious to follow the consistency in his utterances since his ordination. He has shown dedication to his role as Custodian of the Gua War Stool and all the seven powerful Ga Land Stools that are in his custody associated to his reign.
He has consistently called for government support and assistance to carry out projects which would be of benefit to the general population. He has worked behind the scenes to resolve conflicts and land litigation and it is time the authorities gave him the moral support he needs.
The on-going Gua Koo saga at Pokuase between two parties, who have no moral right to be there, is very worrying to Nii as we speak. So is the government’s attempt to relocate Sodom and Gomorrah to Agenkotoku as well as the fate of the foot soldiers who put their backs to the wheel to ensure a peaceful national election. These issues, together with others of general concern like the negotiation by the Trade Ministry to sign the European Partnership Agreement this October are just the tip of iceberg of issues that Nii Guate has sleepless nights over. He would also like to see the James Town Harbor returned to the people of Ga-Mashie. We continue to set the time for the world to follow as indigenes of the region where the GMT rests. Why does this not reflect in the life of our youth?
Nii wishes that the government would hasten to deliver on its election promises made to the people of Odododiodoo during the 2008 December election. He laments at the nonchalance or at best, lethargic response of the various Ministries he has approached, seeking to collaborate with them in building a consensus between government and traditional authorities because this is really hampering an otherwise constructive agenda for his people.
Since all Ga households have been banned from publicly sprinkling Kpoikpoi, it is fair to say that Nii Guate has done it for all. We look forward to seeing our traditional authority coming together to follow Nii Guate’s peaceful example to bring peace to the land. The celebration of our annual Homowo Festival will only get better and lead to the restoration of our heritage in the near future. This year’s event was very gracious and colorful. We can only make a positive projection that Nii Guate for the future. The Gua Royal Household is making an urgent appeal to all members and well-wishers of the Ga State to come rebuild an empire near crumble. Now that our way is clear, it will be easy to build on our good and solid foundation under the leadership of Nii Guate Asuasa Ekasee Ako II.
AFI OO AFI, AFI AYA NI EBA NINA WOR!!!!!
GUA OOOOO GUA!