The Tema Traditional Council (TTC), on Wednesday announced the cancellation of this year’s Kplejoo festival.

The Council said the cancellation was necessitated by the prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the President’s ban on large gatherings as a measure against its spread.

Nii Amarh Somponu II, Tema Shipi and Stool Secretary who announced the cancellation said, “since we are not in normal times it affects everything. Last year we cancelled the festival and this year too we have to do same. If it persists we may also cancel this year’s Homowo”.

Nii Somponu explained that Kplejoo is a sowing festival, a prelude to the Homowo festival, which signifies harvesting and hooting at hunger, stressing that the people of Tema believed that one could not harvest without planting.

He said in view of the cancellation of the festival, the usual night procession embarked on by youth groups in preparation towards the festival had also been duly banned.

“We haven’t obtained a permit for the celebration so if people parade themselves on the street and get into trouble with the law enforcers, we have forewarned them”.

He said all stakeholders were informed about the cancellation adding that family heads were engaged to inform their family members that the festival would not come on between April 2 and April 9 as scheduled.