List of 15 churches summoned by Ga Traditional Council for flouting ban on noise-making
The Ga Traditional Council has called 15 churches—including well-known ones like Calvary Baptist Church and Lighthouse Chapel—to appear before them after allegedly disobeying the ban on drumming and noise-making that started on May 12, 2025.
The head of the task force in charge of making sure the ban is followed, Asafoatse Mankatta, confirmed this in an interview with Adom News.
He said some churches were caught clapping during their services, which goes against the rules of the ban. He added that when the Ga Traditional Council taskforce went to deliver summons letters to those churches, some of them refused to accept the letters.
“We respect Calvary Baptist Church a lot, but we were shocked to see them ignoring the orders of the Traditional Council. They were making noise as if nothing serious was going on,” he said.
The churches have been told to come before the Ga Traditional Council on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Asafoatse Mankatta warned that serious action will be taken if they don’t show up.
He explained again that during this one-month ban, churches can sing, but clapping and drumming are not allowed.
However, if a church has soundproof walls and the noise doesn’t go outside, the Ga Traditional Council won’t have any problem with them.
He advised churches and the Christian community to respect the rules. He also said the taskforce will step up its monitoring starting this coming Sunday.
The ban also includes no loudspeakers outside church buildings or mosques, no street preaching, and no use of megaphones, tambourines, or musical instruments both indoors and outdoors during this period.
This ban is part of the traditional preparations for the Homowo Festival.
Ban on Noise Making
Starting today, May 12, 2025, a one-month ban on drumming and noise-making takes effect in Accra. The ban, which will end on June 12, 2025, is part of the Ga people’s preparations for the annual Homowo festival.
The ban covers all kinds of noise—no loudspeakers, no drumming, no tambourines, no funerals with music, and no roadside preaching.
In a statement signed by Gilbert Nii Ankrah, Head of Public Affairs at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), it was made clear that the ban applies to everyone—residents, churches, and institutions—within the Accra area.
To make sure the rules are followed, a special taskforce made up of REGSEC, local assemblies, and the Ghana Police will be on patrol. Anyone who breaks the law will face legal action.
The statement also explained that not all Ga communities celebrate Homowo on the same date. Areas like Osu, La, Nungua, Tema, Kpone, Prampram, and Ningo will each announce their own bans after June 12, 2025, and give out information for their local festivals.
So, for now, residents in Accra are being asked to cooperate fully and show respect for the Ga traditions during this important cultural period.