15/08/2024
Meeting with a Ga Dangme Chief, Nii Abehenease I
I was given the honour to interview a Ga Dangme Chief, during my last visit to Ghana.
May I ask what are the most appropriate greetings to you as the Chief?
When they come to greet me, they say “Mimba oden omanye.”
They will ask for blessing, and I bless you so I respond “Manye djon ablabu.”
How large is your community?
My community is big. I have a big, big, big community.
What would you say is the most important thing in your community?
What I think it important for the community, what I want to do is to give the people of the community a good education. There’s no public school here; the only school is the private school. I need a school from the government, so the people can afford education. That’s important for me to do it.
I’m surprised there is no government school here.
As long as I’ve been on the throne, I’ve been insisting, so the community can have a better school, and a better education for the people.
Does the government support your goal here?
I don’t have any support coming from the government. I write letters to the municipal assembly. They will come and say they'll do something today, tomorrow, the day after. Nothing ever gets done.
Generally it seems that the government doesn’t support you financially or in your goals.
The government doesn’t support me for all these things. Yet, it’s an important thing I need to do in the community.
So what are some of the things that people may come to you to ask for?
Normally, when people come, they want me to ask for their residence documents. Paperwork for housing. That’s what they ask for. I call them too, for important things for the community.
How does a typical day play out for you as the Chief?
I’m trying my best to make sure things go right for the community, but I have some people in the community, that always fight with me.
Today, they bring issues, yesterday, they brought issues, tomorrow they will bring issues. So always, I want to focus on doing what I have to do.
You obviously care about your community, and you aim to help them as much as you can. Do your members of your community help you in your endeavours?
That’s what I’m saying, they don’t want to help me out. Their focus is on other things, which makes it difficult to bring better things to the community. But I try my best to find people from overseas who can help, assist me to put up a school for the community here. That’s what I’m fighting for, now.
What would be one thing about your community that you could be most proud?
The school. When you have education, you have everything. There’s a small clinic who help the community. The children of the community, some of them, they don’t have any support or access for their schooling. Sometimes they are at home, and don’t have access to school. I need to open up the Abehenease Education Fund so I can help the people, for the community to grow the school. That is the most important thing I want to achieve, now.
Do you think there is anything that the rest of the world, particularly Australia, for example, could learn from the tribal Chieftaincy of Ghana?
There’s many things Australia can learn from our chiefs in Ghana. For example, how to respectfully come to the Chief. You’ve seen the libation we do. If you want to go to any chief, you must perform this libation to the chief, so they can assist you.
Respect for the traditions. Sometimes, there's a period when we don’t play drums. We don’t sing. This rule has to be respected.
We have just come through that period where there is no drumming allowed, in preparation for Homowo. We're not allowed drumming, not allowed any music. No clapping hands. No whistles.
After that, we will have the house celebration, and the town celebration, too. That’s Homowo, starting with the Akweley & Akwokor (Twins Festival). You have seen Homowo, before.
So how are you going to celebrate Homowo?
Right now, I’ve called my family so we can prepare the Homowo celebration. I will have to talk to my lady Queen Mother. We will call a meeting so we can organise things together. We cook, we eat some, then sprinkle, we spread some for our forefathers, our foremothers and grandmothers, on the ground.
When you became Chief, was this your choice or was this a family legacy?
It was not my choice. It’s a family legacy. I found out when I was overseas, in the US. I lived in the US for almost eleven years. Then I came back here and took on the throne.
What happened, in the lead up to installation? Were there particular protocols that had to happen before you were installed?
When the family chooses you, there is nothing you can do to avoid it. The family decides it will be you, and the timing. You should accept it.
Were you married when you became king?
Yes. I was married.
Does this automatically make your wife the Queen Mother?
No, no. She is not my Queen Mother. The Queen Mother too, has her husband. And I have my wife. The Queen Mother comes from a different family. So it’s not like my wife is automatically the Queen Mother. No, it’s not like that.
Is there any training to take on such an important role in the community?
Yes, yes, there is training, it’s important in the community.
So, you were given that training, before taking on the role?
Yes.
It looks like you have a very big responsibility.
Yes. It is.
I thank you for your time, today. This gives me a small idea of the responsibilities of a local Chief.
Thank you for coming, too. So if all of the people of Australia can help me to do better for my community, I would really appreciate that. I have written a letter to the US, and Germany, but they haven't responded, yet. I hope they’ll respond. But, God brought you from Australia, right?
Yes.
I need all your guys’ help, to make sure the community is beautiful for the people. Especially the children.
They are the future.
Yes.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, too.
Oh ye wala don.
The Homowo Festival lasts for several days. After the month-long period ban on noisemaking, the first festival day is that of the Twins, Akweley & Akwokor. The next day commences with a parade of the local chief, walking through their town, spreading the kpekpele on the ground as they go. This is the main festival, with a grand durbar, with music, dancing, singing and food.
The third day is Mgno wala (thanksgiving).
After a week, the celebration continues with Tsale Watte, where neighbours will also come to visit, so food must be plentiful in the household to feed the guests.
Happy Homowo!
