Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has called on Queen Mothers in the Greater Accra Region to take the lead in promoting peace, tolerance and responsible conduct ahead of future Homowo celebrations.
She said Homowo, as a major cultural festival of the Ga-Dangme people, should remain a season of thanksgiving, remembrance, cultural expression and communal solidarity, rather than become a source of confrontation, division or loss of life.
The Deputy Minister was speaking during an engagement with Queen Mothers of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, on the theme, “Strengthening Collaboration for Peaceful Homowo Celebration.”
Madam Sowah said the peaceful celebration of Homowo required the collective efforts of Traditional Authorities, local government authorities, religious and community leaders, youth groups, the media and security agencies.
She said the role of Queen Mothers was particularly important because of their influence as custodians of culture and tradition, advisers to Chiefs and trusted voices within their communities.
“Your influence extends beyond the traditional institution. You are trusted voices who can calm tensions, reconcile differences, counsel families and communities, and encourage responsible behaviour,” she stressed.
The Deputy Minister urged the Queen Mothers to use their positions to engage young people and encourage restraint, tolerance, respect and peaceful coexistence before and during future Homowo festivities.
She said the deaths should serve as a reminder of the devastating consequences of confrontations during festivities, stressing that no disagreement or misunderstanding was worth the loss of human life.
Mrs Sowah urged stakeholders to reject provocation, vigilantism, the use of weapons, inflammatory public statements, and other acts capable of escalating tensions.
She called for disagreements to be addressed through dialogue, mediation, and established traditional and lawful mechanisms for conflict resolution.
The Deputy Minister also advocated the adoption of early warning and early response mechanisms to identify potential flashpoints and address concerns before they developed into conflicts.
She urged young people to view Homowo as a celebration of identity, culture and unity rather than an opportunity for confrontation, stating that they should be empowered to become ambassadors of peace rather than instruments of conflict.
Mrs Sowah said the Government’s Reset Agenda also required communities to strengthen social cohesion and peaceful coexistence, noting that meaningful development could not be achieved in communities divided by conflict.
She said the Ministry would continue to collaborate with Traditional Authorities and other stakeholders to strengthen traditional governance, support peaceful communities and promote responsible local leadership.
Beyond peacebuilding, Mrs Sowah urged Queen Mothers to deepen their involvement in youth and women empowerment, child welfare and community development.
She encouraged them to identify young people in need of support and guide them towards vocational and technical training opportunities to equip them with practical skills, promote self-reliance and entrepreneurship, and help address unemployment.
Mrs Sowah acknowledged the contribution of some Queen Mothers to the School Feeding Programme and urged them to ensure that children received balanced and nutritious meals prepared and served under hygienic conditions and in appropriate quantities.
She said the involvement of traditional leaders in such programmes demonstrated that the role of Queen Mothers extended beyond cultural responsibilities to peacebuilding, youth empowerment, women’s development, child welfare and community development.
She expressed confidence that with the wisdom of Queen Mothers, guidance from Chiefs, cooperation from MMDCEs and support from security agencies and other stakeholders, future Homowo celebrations would be peaceful, successful and reflective of the dignity of Ga-Dangme culture.