By Alvin Okine KASABROFO & Naa Merley ABUATIKORLEY
Long before concrete compound houses with corrugated roofing sheets began to appear in the heart of Prampram township, the entire surface was covered in thick woods and wild animals.
The forest, stretching all the way toward the seaside and the river, was where our forebears first encountered the Lalue deity that will inspire the Kpledomi Festival, which has now become an important cultural pursuit for the town.
Despite the absence of the forest, the practice is still adhered to strictly. And generation after generation, post the Easter festivities, it continues to work to ensure the festival gains the national eyeball it deserves.
Already, elaborate traditional rites, including the ban on drumming and noisemaking has been enforced. It is expected to be lifted on May 20.
The symbolic visit is where the priests of the town seek the blessings of God onto the town.
In the presence of members of the Prampram Traditional Council led by the Paramount Chief Nene Tetteh Wakah III, three priests assisted by various priestesses lead the gathering into prayer. The well-attended event has become a focal point of conversation and already, there are talks within the traditional council and other residents to package the festival and market it to boost tourism.
“This is the town which harbours the first Police Station ever built in the Gold Coast which transitioned to Ghana. It is important the world gets to know about it,” said Ronnie Akwetey Botchwey, the pioneer of PramcitiTV – the YouTube channel based in Prampram which transmitted the event live.
Before the colonial officials moved the country’s capital from Cape Coast to Accra, Prampram, together with Ada, played significant transit platform for European goods.
Speaking to the channel in an interview, Numo Ayiku Obleh IV – Numo Kpanyor, a Counsellor and prominent member of the town, said the symbolic visit to the forest offers enormous blessings to the town.
“The symbolic visit is our way of remembering our deity Maa Lalue because it was here that our forebears first encountered her, and it is only appropriate we pay homage in this regard. We are asking for blessings for each and every person or group of persons on our Prampram soil.”
The first Kple is expected to take place on April 23. The second and third follow a week after each.
