Accra, April 5, GNA - Osu Mantse, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, the elders and people of Osu, have held special traditional prayers for the Government and people of Japan in respect of the recent disaster that hit Japan.

The grand prayer ceremony attended by the Acting Japanese Ambassador, Hisanobu Mochizuki, his wife Naomi and other delegates from the Japanese Embassy in Ghana and from JICA at Osu in Accra on Monday, was the first of its kind held by any traditional council for a diplomatic mission in Ghana.

Since the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, more than 8,000 persons have been recorded dead and or missing and several thousands have also been displaced as property worth millions of dollars have been destroyed and nuclear emissions keep contaminating the air, water and milk in that country.

The Osu Traditional Priest, Nummo Gbelenfo, who led the traditional prayers cleansed the Japanese delegation with two live fowls and slaughtered the fowls to symbolize a purification and of Japan from all eminent disasters and the destruction of those disasters before they occur. The traditional priest then hanged a chain of special green leaves called 93nyanyina" around their necks to signify a fresh beginning full of peace and freedom of disasters for Japan. Nii Kinka Dowuona VI said, 93We decided to do these special prayers because the Japanese Embassy is located on Osu land and again Japan is a coastal country like Ghana. He noted that the traditional priests of Osu have been performing similar prayers to prevent the sea from engulfing Ghana so 93we believe those prayers that have worked for us over the years will work for the Japanese as well."

Nii Kinka Dowuona also noted that Japan had been of great support to Ghana's development through loans, grants and technical support so he thought the prayers was the little way Ghana could also show sympathy to Japan in these trying moments.

"We are now living in a global village so whatever happens to one country no matter how far away affects all of us. Besides since we have accepted them into our country as diplomats they are now part of us so we need to treat them as such," He said.

He therefore called on his other colleague chiefs to emulate the example and go the extra mile to show their sympathy to Japan instead of just leaving it for the politicians alone to do. Nii Kinka Dowuona VI noted that it did not cost much to organize such a grand prayer ceremony for the Japanese, but the significance of it is valueless, adding that Ghana's traditional leaders needed to be a little more proactive regarding some of these issues and not think about cost. Mr Hisanobu was full of praise for Nii Kinka and the people of Osu and pledged to inform his Government about the kind and special gesture the people of Osu have shown to Japan in these trying moments. 5 April 11