The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced a one-month ban on drumming and noise-making across the Ga Traditional Area, running from Monday, May 4 to Thursday, June 4, 2026, in observance of the annual Nmaa Dumo period ahead of the Homowo festival.
In a press release signed by Head of Public Affairs Gilbert Nii Ankrah, the Assembly directed that all religious and social activities generating excessive noise must stop entirely for the duration. Churches are required to hold services strictly within their premises and without musical instruments. Loudspeakers mounted outside churches, mosques, and pubs are prohibited, and roadside evangelists must suspend their activities until the ban is lifted.
The Ga Traditional Council has issued a parallel directive banning all funeral rites and related activities, meaning no public processions, mourning gatherings, or burial ceremonies involving amplified sound or drumming are permitted during the period.
The AMA made clear that enforcement is the exclusive responsibility of a joint task force comprising Assembly personnel, the Ghana Police Service, and representatives of the Traditional Councils. All task force members will be identifiable by tags, and no private person or unauthorised group has authority to enforce the ban.
The Assembly also urged religious bodies and traditional authorities to exercise restraint and prevent followers from making derogatory or inflammatory remarks about the beliefs of others, warning that such remarks could threaten the peace the period is meant to protect.
Areas covered include communities around the AMA Head Office, Gamashie, Ablekuma West, and Kasoa. The Ga Traditional Area more broadly encompasses Ga Mashi, Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua, and Tema.
Nmaa Dumo is a traditional observance during which the Ga people observe quiet and fasting to pray for good rains, a bountiful harvest, and community wellbeing. The Homowo festival, which follows the lifting of the ban, is the most significant annual celebration of the Ga people, marking resilience and thanksgiving.
