AFRICAN TRADITIONALISM RESEARCH-AKOM OF GHANA

Research Photos taken at a shrine in the Ashanti region of Ghana of members learning new songs.

ASHAWUO ON THE RISE IN AFRICA: Whatssap making Prostitution Easy?

When a married man suspects the wife of cheating or being an adulterous woman, most of the time, the suspicion is with one man and when the case is brought before elders, everything is done by mediators to ensure peaceful settlement and coexistence. Not in an age when technology is rendering our revered traditions and customs that ensure viable morality in marriage as powerless.  The advent of Technology Revolution  not withstanding all its advantages also comes with its numerous downsides.   One of the negative impact on Africa is the telling effect on our sacred marriage institutions and relationships. In their place promiscuous lifestyle and indiscriminate sexual activities. These are ruining many African marriages and collapsing many relationships; affecting the quality of health among our population.

A 40 year old carpenter, Kwame Nipadansani Akoto of Agona Swedru in a facebook update complained that technology is destroying our moral culture. He said, our women have been very honest till they started using cell phones and giving their numbers out indiscriminately. Now, most of us cannot trust our partners anymore because one cannot predict what conversations they have with the opposite sex and when normal friendship metamorphosed into illegal dating.

The story below culled from a Zimbabwean newspaper, B24, shed some light on issues that many people both men and women have concerns about the partners using new media:

“ A Waterfalls woman has dragged her ex-husband to court after she was severely assaulted on allegations of dating four men on Whatsapp.
Tsitsi Mubalaka, divorced Douglas Katumba on 4 July 2011, accused her ex-husband of orchestrating violence. She told the court that Katumba would use violence as a way to force her back. Mubalaka said Katumba had taken all her mobile phones alleging that she was using the social media to communicate with other men.

“He always accuses me of being in love with a UK-based man called Tendai whom I am not even aware of. The accusation has intensified and he has taken all my cellphones,” she said.

“We got divorced two years ago but he insists he wants to stay with me and harasses me in front of my workmates. Last year I went to South Africa seeking peace of mind, but he followed me there pleading for reconciliation. He forcefully impregnated me threatening he would kill me if I refuted,” said Mubalaka.

Katumba however, dismissed the allegations, saying they were still a married couple since he was not given a divorce token (gupuro).

“We are still married and I do not harass her but we fight each other. As the head of the family I would like to address but she does not understand me so we end up quarreling which leads to a fight,” he said.

Katumba accused his wife of infidelity insisting that she has four boyfriends.

“I saw love charts with four different men on her Whatsapp and one of the guys is someone she once dated in High School. Whenever I ask her, she usually says my lobola expired in 2011,” said Katumba.

Mubalaka admitted she would use such terms like “sweetheart, honey, dear” on the social network.

“Yes I use such words like sweetie, darling and other romantic texts but that does not necessarily mean that I am in love with those guys,” she claimed.

Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuto simply ordered the two to co-exist peacefully.”

DO YOU KNOW OF SIMILAR STORIES IN YOUR COMMUNITY, AMONG YOUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS?

Against this backdrop, does it mean that some of us (men) should stop our women from using cell phones?  Should Married women be on Facebook and chat with many guys especially those abroad and for the women to address them with the words: sweedy, sweetie, dear,honey? Are those ladies not creating conditions for future illegal romance when they use those words?

HERE IS A VIDEO LINK FROM ANOTHER BROTHER WHO HAS A CONCERN:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYMmKPWMLKs&feature=youtu.be

More questions coming:

Back After a Hiatus:……..PREKESE GhanaMedia’s Culture and Arts Education Project:

Dear Respectable Readers,

We love to research and we love to SHARE:  We are back after taking a hiatus for almost a year to put things in other.

We are back in full swing:  We will bring you findings from our research, share cultural topics, stories, news and views via texts, audio and visuals.

We hope you will enjoy us as we enjoy your company: We have developed a number of projects in collaboration with a number of organizations. Among them are  online community radio stations which so far includes:

AKUAPEM HOPE FM

EKUMFIMAN HOPE FM

BORBOR FANTSE HOPE FM

NANANOM SANKOFA POWER FM

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To welcome you back, here is our special treat for you today:

In a court trial at Ekumfi Essakyir, a lawyer called his first witness who happens to be an elderly grandmother, to the stand. He went to her and asked, “Mama Okanawu, do you know me?”

She responded confidently, “Why, yes I do know you Kofi Patapaa Mawuli. I’ve known you since you were a young boy, and to be frank with you and this young district, you have been a big disappointment to your parents and to the society. You are a liar, you cheat people including your wife,and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you are a big man when you do not even have the least responsible brains. Yes, I know you!”

The lawyer was stunned! Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Mama Okanawu, do you know the defense lawyer?” She replied, ” Yes, I do. I have known Mr Kwaku Nsembone since he was a young boy too attending school at Ekumfi Bogyano. He has been your very good friend since childhood because both of you attended High School at Cape Coast, continued to KNUST and then to the Ghana Law School; and have the same character. He, Kwaku has also been a very lazy man and he has a drinking problem. Infact, he is a criminal and he can’t even build a normal relationship with anyone. His law practice is one of the worst in the entire region. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with 3 different  women, one of them was your wife.Yes, I know him.The defence lawyer almost fainted.

The Presiding Judge who had been listening to everything, called both lawyers to his table and in a very quiet voice, said,”If any of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I’ll make sure you loose your license!!!

 

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BAN ON DRUMMING IN GOMUA TRADITIONAL AREA

Apam (C/R), April 16, GNA – The people of Gomoa, one of the Borbor Mfantse ethnic groups which migrated from Techiman, have banned drumming, wailing and loud noise making from April 20 to May 6.

The ban also covers performing of funerals, church conventions and public gatherings and is part of the preparations towards the celebration of Ahobaa Ketsewa festival on May 11 to commemorate the sacrifice of the life of Ahor, a citizen of Gomoa Maim, to save the people of Borbor Mfantse from a plague that devastated the population.

Obrifo Ahunako Ahor Ankobea II, Omanhen of Gomoa Akyempim who announced the ban at a meeting with the Standing Committee of the Council, narrated how the Borbor Mfantses made up of the people of Gomoa, Ajumako, Ekumfi, Abura, Enyan, Nkusukum, Etsii and Abeadze were attacked by a plague on their migration from Techiman in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

He said after consulting the oracle, a fetish priest said the plague could only be averted when someone could offer himself to be sacrificed and his blood used to perform a ritual.

The Omanhen said three meetings were held but nobody was prepared to offer himself to be sacrificed until Ahor, a young man of about 27 years, offered himself to be used for the ritual.

He said the plague stopped immediately the blood of Ahor was used to perform the ritual.

Obrifo Ahunako Ahor Ankobea said in appreciation of what Ahor had done to save the people of Borbor Mfantses, they decided to institute two festivals, Ahobaa Ketsewa in May to commemorate his death and Ahobaa Kese in August, to mark his burial and funeral.

He appealed to the citizens of Gomoa East and Gomoa West to observe strictly the ban, saying anyone who violated the ban would be sanctioned severely.

TRADITIONAL BUSINESS IN GHANA

 

 

ARCHITECTURE IN GHANA

URBAN HOUSE