New Ga Mantse captures palace

By Lawrence Markwei

The newly-outdoored Ga mantse, Boni Nii Tackie Adama latse II, the Kingmakers and other chiefs from the Ga State yesterday moved into the Ga Mantse’s Palace at Kaneshie, completing the process that started on Friday to install a new king of the Ga state.

Contrary to speculations that the occupation of the palace, which happened in the early hours of yesterday, would lead to violence, the event came off peacefully even without the presence of security personnel.

Nii Ayibonte, Gbese Mantse and the Ga state Adonten, addressing the media later in the day, said: “The take-over forms part of an interim house cleaning exercise by a newly-formed Ga State Council.”

He said the Ga State Council had come to replace the Ga Traditional Council and hinted that the next few days would be used in probing billions of cedis entrusted into the care of the former council.

He said he would preside over the council in the interim period since the new king had not completed all the customary rites before he takes office.

Nii Ayibonte said some of the monies the former council must account for include donations of ¢1.2 billion (old currency) towards the late Nii Amugi’s funerals and the Education Trust Fund.

He said since no disbursements were known to have been made from these sources “there is the need for probity and accountability at this stage to set the records straight”.

He said though those concerned promised to pay back the money, they had reneged. “Therefore, the new council will use all necessary means to ensure that accountability and justice prevail.”

Nii Ayibonte said the new Ga State Council would admit only deserving chiefs into the council, adding that areas where two factions are claiming the right to the stool, the necessary intervention would be made to rectify that anomaly.

He assured Ghanaian and all Gas that the new development was not meant to cause any chaos in the city, but rather, to correct injustice and wrong which had been visited on Gas.

Nii Ayibonte said the new situation presented an opportunity for all Gas to rally behind the new Ga Mantse to get things right for the state.

Nii Amarkai III, Dzasetse and acting Asere Mantse, highlighted the legitimacy of the installation, saying since Friday  the legitimate king-makers of the Ga  paramount Stool and the Abola, Gbese and Asere stools in collaboration with principal wulomei (traditional priests) had tried to satisfy the aspirations of Gas by giving them a new king.

He said the decision was taken because the succession to the Ga paramount stool was patrilineal with qualified candidates being chosen from the four ruling houses, namely, Teiko Tsuru We, Amugi We, Abola Paim, and Takie Kommey We.

Nii Amarkai said though it was the turn of Abola Piam to succeed the stool, the Kingmakers agreed to cede that privilege and adopted a son from Teiko Tsuru We “as a candidate of convenience in the present circumstances”.

He said the Dzase vetted, adopted and confirmed the candidate and “ fter having been accepted by all, he was adorned with the original wrist band (Afli) worn by the late Nii Amugi by Nuumo Ogbarmey, Sakumono Wulomo as custom demands’.

Earlier, to give credence to the new development, a tape recorded on June 24, 2006 from an Accra based Radio station, with the voice of Nii Tettah Kwei, the Dzaasetse who presided over the installation of Nii Tackie Tawiah III, was played to the audience.

On that tape, he was heard responding to a question from the radio presenter that Nii Tackie Tawia’s selection to succeed Nii Amugi was wrong. This was before he had later joined the Ga Traditional Council as a member.

Nii Tetteh kwei said Nii Tawiah was from the maternal side Teikotsuru We and, therefore, was not qualified to be Ga Mantse.

He said while arrangements were going on to give the late Nii Amugi a befitting burial, some ‘unsrupulous people’ were conspiring to impose Nii Tackie Tawiah on Gas against all customs and tradition .

Nii Tetteh Kwei said their actions had brought the chieftaincy institution into disrepute adding that, “ Gas are angry about the situation which needs to be rectify”.

*Source:

               The Ghanaian Times              Page: 4                        Tuesday, June 14, 2011