King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the King of the Ga State, has reiterated the call on Ghanaians to observe all the COVID-19 safety protocols to stem the rise in the country’s cases.
Ghana, like many other countries, has witnessed a spike in COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks largely driven by the Omicron variant, with the country’s current active cases standing at 10,906.
Meanwhile, many people continue to disregard the safety protocols of mask wearing, social distancing, and regular washing of hands with soap under running water.
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Some people also continue to shy away from getting inoculated against the virus. Speaking at the annual “Kinka Blonya” – children’s party- celebration at Bukom in Accra on Saturday, King Teiko Tsuru warned against any complacency, adding that the virus remained a threat to everyone.
He, therefore, advised that the public should continue to religiously adhere to the protocols to help curb the current spread. He said: “COVID-19 has not left our communities, it is still around us so let’s continue to adhere to the safety protocols put in place by the health authorities.”
The country, since it began inoculating citizens against the virus in March 2021, has administered only 8,458,155 doses of vaccines as at December 28, 2021, thereby missing out on the 20 million vaccination target by the end of December 2021, as set by the government.
The “Kinka Blonya,” among other things, sought to put smiles on the faces of children within the Ga State, strengthen relationships between Ga children and Ga Mantse, and expose them to the knowledge of a better future.
This year’s event saw hundreds of children from Bukom participating in various fun activities, including dancing competition, singing, and exhibition of the Ga culture.
King Teiko Tsuru II said education was the only way Gas and the Ga community could bring development to themselves and their people. He urged parents to, therefore, prioritise the education of their children to ensure that they had a bright and fruitful future.
The Ga Mantse also appealed to the Ministry of Edication, civil society organisations and corporate Ghana to partner with the Ga Stool to give scholarship packages to 100 bright but needy students from the Ga communities to enable them to further their education. Kinka refers to the Dutch who established the Usher Fort in Accra.
They are referred to as the Kinka Blofo, literally meaning “The Dutch White People.” The “Kinka Blonya,” then called the New Year’s Children’s Party, an initiative of the Dutch people, is organised annually for children in front of the Usher Fort every New Year’s Day.
The tradition was taken over by King Tackie Tawiah I, who, likewise, made it an annual event under the name “KINKA BLONYA” as part of the King’s “Feed, Educate, and Have Fun” initiative. King Teiko Tsuru II, reinstated the event in 2018 to bring joy to children within the Ga state.
