– Jo Blankson told

A Lawyer has cautioned against anyone parading himself as Ga Mantse until the dispute over the choice of a candidate has been resolved in the interest of peace in the Ga State and the rest of the country.

Speaking to the Times in Accra on Sunday, the lawyer, G.A. Boadu, pointed out that since the question of nomination of a new Ga Mantse is still before the judicial Committee of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, “it is not proper for anybody to parade himself as Ga Manatse”.

Mr. Boadu, who is counsel for the Akwashong Mantse, Nii Kpakpa Blofonyo, said his client has challenged the purported nomination and installation of Dr. Jo. Blankson as Ga Mantse and therefore filed a suit at the Regional House of Chiefs against him and two others.

He said Dr. Blankson and the two, Nii Akropong II, head of the Teiko Tsuru We and the Nai Wulomo, Nuumo Tete, failed to respond to the hearing notice of the Regional House of Chiefs and therefore did not turn up for the hearing last Thursday, March 29, 2007.

However, M.L.K. Anumle, Registrar of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, told the Times that around 4p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, he received a letter from the counsel of Dr. Blankson, indicating that he would not be present at the sitting because he had to be at the Koforidua High Court where he was representing another client.

Mr. Anumle said since the notice was late, the sitting could not be rescheduled, adding that the date fixed was April, 13, 2007.

He said that there are five suits from different factions of the Ga ruling houses at the Regional House of chiefs against Mr. Blankson.

Mr. Boadu noted that the chieftaincy act defines a chief as one who has been nominated, elected and installed according to the customs of the area, and whose name is on the register of chiefs, at the registry of the National House of Chiefs.

In the light of this, he said, the Ga Traditional Council has no role in the nomination, election and installation of Ga Mantse.

“Thus some pronouncements made by some members of the Ga Traditional Council regarding the installation of a new Ga Mantse do not help matters”.

Likewise, he said, newspaper publications projecting someone as Ga Mantse or who has political influence over the choice, are invalid, so far as the law is concerned.

He therefore advised all parties to the dispute to exercise restraint and wait for the determination of the suits pending before the Regional House of Chiefs.

“Anything short of this, will affect peace in Accra and the country as a whole”, he said.

The purported, nomination, election and installation of Dr. Blankson has generated a lot of controversy, with questions raised about his eligibility to ascend the Ga Paramount Stool and which also led to factions opposed to him, instituting a number of legal actions against him.

However, the Ga Traditional Council gave him recognition on February 26, when he was inducted into office as President of the Council.