By the directive, funeral activities and other outdoor events associ­ated with noise making have been put on hold for the three-week period.

This preceded the celebration of the Kpelejoo festival by only the people of Tema to signify a period of sowing in anticipation for a bumper harvest to hoot at hun­ger during the Homowo festival celebration.

At a brief traditional ceremony at the Sakumo Lagoon to an­nounce the ban, Sakumo Wulomei of Tema, Nii Ashiboi Kofi, said the ban applies to all forms of noise making including the use of loudspeakers at social events, drumming, the use of tambourines as well as loud church and marriage activities.

Explaining the significance of the period, Nii Kofi expressed the hope that all individuals and groups in the traditional area including personnel of the Eastern Naval Command would not engage in any activities that would lead to any form of noise including clapping, whistling and playing musical instruments.

He appealed to the public to observe the directive on the ban, warning that the police and a task force had been constituted to pros­ecute offenders.

To this end, he indicated that punitive sanctions would be meted out to any persons or group of persons in the traditional area who would contravene the directive.

The Tema Traditional area con­sists of Tema Manhean, commu­nities 1 to 26, Ashaiman, Kubekro, Saasabii, Sakumono, Adjei Kojo, Klagon Zenu, Adigon and Adjei­man.