By Benjamin Nii Nai,Mark Agodoa
Copyright gbcghanaonline
By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Ga Traditional Council has issued a firm directive to halt the planned Igbo New Yam Festival, slated for Sunday, September 21, 2025, at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park in Accra.
In a formal communication dated September 19, 2025, and addressed to the Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, the Council stressed that allowing the festival to proceed could trigger “mayhem and disturbance of peace and security within the Ga State.”
The event, dubbed “2025 Igbo Day in Ghana – New Yam Festival”, is being organized by Eze Dr. Amb. Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, leader of the Igbo community in Ghana. It is a longstanding cultural celebration that attracts both Ghanaian and Nigerian dignitaries.
Registrar of the Council, Evelyn Amewotse, who signed the letter, recalled that on July 9, 2025, the Ga Traditional Council had cautioned Eze Ihenetu to desist from staging traditional and cultural festivities on Ga land without proper consultation. The Council argued that such practices amounted to “importing Igbo culture into the Ga State,” a move it strongly opposes.
Quoting directives from Ga Mantse, HRM King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Registrar emphasized:
“HRM King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II has directed me to write to inform you and also seek your assistance by putting the above program to a halt as soon as possible.”
The Council also copied the Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and the Minister of Interior and National Security, urging their cooperation to ensure compliance.
The Igbo New Yam Festival, known as Iri Ji, is a major cultural event marking the end of the farming season. It features yam feasts, masquerade dances, and thanksgiving rituals. In Ghana, the celebration has been observed for more than a decade.
However, the Ga Traditional Council maintains that while it is not opposed to the Igbo community, it is committed to protecting the cultural sovereignty of the Ga State and avoiding tensions in Accra’s already diverse and sensitive cultural environment.
The development has heightened calls for dialogue between the Ga leadership and Ghana’s Igbo community to prevent escalation. For now, the fate of the 2025 Igbo New Yam Festival in Accra remains uncertain.
