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Tension is brewing at Kete Krachi in the Krachi West District of the Volta Region with the fast-approaching Nanaba Festival which is scheduled to take place in November, this year. The tension is as a result of the 21-day ban on noise making which precedes the celebration of the festival, which the Muslims see as a violation of their religious rights. During this period, there is a ban on drumming, funeral celebration, noisy church activities and the use of public address systems. The root cause of the tension is that the ban, which was instituted by the Krachi traditional authorities, was violated by a group of Muslims in 2008 who used the microphone during their call to prayers. Accordingly, the traditional authorities after futile attempts to enforce compliance by the Muslims took the matter to a court at Kete Krachi which issued orders restraining the use of microphones and other public address systems during the period. The police, arming themselves with the court order, seized the public address systems, microphones, amplifiers among others which were still being used by the Muslims. A group of 25 Muslims, who went on a rampage, thus, causing violence and general insecurity in the town, were arrested. This compelled the Muslims to seek justice at the High Court, Human Rights Division, in Accra, which quashed the order of the lower court on the grounds of infringing on their religious rights, and asked the police to release the seized equipment. With this court order, the ban on drumming and noise making was thrown off-balance. When the Daily Graphic contacted the Krachi West District Chief Executive, Mr Moses Ponye, the District Police Commander, DSP Foli Washington and other opinion leaders to seek their views as to the resolution of the tension, Mr Ponye said the tension had stalled the celebration of the festival. The DCE said the Muslim community comprised settlers so he felt that the natives, who celebrated the festival, had re-instituted it as they would not compromise their culture. According to the Krachiwura, Nana Mprah III, the festival will take place by all means. “If anybody dares make noise, then what will happen will happen,” Nana Mprah stressed. Nana Nkrumah Eyereareso II, Adontenhene of the Krachi Traditional Area, said Nana Mprah gave the caution during the recent Akwasidae festival and said it was their right to celebrate the festival and as such the ban would be enforced at all cost. The Adontenhene said Nana Mprah emphasised that the land was for him and he will not sit unconcerned for strangers to control him. He, therefore, tasked members of the District Security Committee (DISEC), and the DCE to ensure that the ban was complied with.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.