Ghana Peace
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), Ghana Army’s Southern Command (S/COMD) – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Isaac Nicholas Paintsil, has cautioned the youth and people of Teshie against acts of hooliganism, which have become characteristic of Homowo celebrations in the recent past.
The GOC gave the caution in a solidarity message delivered on his behalf by the Command Operations Officer (COO), Headquarters (HQ), S/COMD – Colonel (Col) Lawrence Sedoh Agbedoawu, during the Media Launch of the 2025 Teshie Homowo Festival, on Friday 8 August 2025, at the Teshie Traditional Council, on the theme, “One Culture, One People, One Heritage”.
He said the Homowo Festival is not just a cultural celebration, but also a symbol of resilience, hope, and reconciliation, which are values that resonate deeply with the ethos of the military, therefore, any act of violence that would mar the essence of the celebration should cease forthwith.
He indicated that the core essence of the Homowo celebration, is to strengthen existing bonds between clans and families, honour the ancestors, and inspire future generations, hence the need to embrace the festival in the spirit of harmony, peace and discipline.
Gen IN Paintsil asserted that the launch of the festival should serve as a roadmap for dialogue, mutual respect, and cultural pride that would echo far beyond the Ga State, to all corners of Ghana, reminding that peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of understanding, tolerance, and cooperation.
Brig Gen Paintsil then donated a cash amount of Three Thousand Cedis (GHS 3,00), in support of the 2025 festival, and also pledged the continued support of the Ghana Armed Forces, to the people of Teshie, for peaceful and successful Homowo celebrations at all times.
The event was graced by the Teshie Mantse – His Royal Highness Gbetsoolo Nii Ashietey Akomfra III; Traditional Leaders of the Teshie Traditional Council; the Member of Parliament for the Ledzokuku Constituency – Mr Bernard Ayiku Nartey; religious and opinion leaders, and residents in the Teshie locality.
The Ga ethnic group in Ghana, celebrates the Homowo Festival as one that commemorates the end of a period of fasting in their history. The name of the festival in the Ga language means ‘hooting at hunger’, and involves rituals, drumming, dancing, and a general atmosphere of joy and celebrations.
Credit: PR DET S/COMD
