GA MANTSE, OTUMFUO SHOW THE WAY
Friday July 24, 2009
THE Ghanaian Times cannot recall the last time an Asantehene and a Ga Mantse met one-on-one to discuss matters of national interest, apart from perhaps meetings of the National House of Chiefs.
So when the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tawiah III and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II met quite recently in London and held talks on national issues, it received wide media publicity.
Ordinarily, a meeting between these two prominent Ghanaian chiefs should not attract big headlines. But for a good number of reasons, the Times finds the London meeting very significant.
It was, not for nothing, that the framers of the 1992 Constitution, thought it wise to effectively bar chiefs throughout the country from engaging in active party politics.
The institution of chieftaincy, is a time-tested one, established by customary law and usage. Due to their unique positions in the society, chiefs are expected to be neutral to be able to rally their people for development.
Can any one imagine a situation, where a chief and his elders, openly belong to opposing political parties? Can that chief have the moral courage and a clear conscience to rule his people?
Unfortunately, some chiefs in Ghana have played themselves into the hands of politicians and are being used left, right and centre to cause confusion in the country.
It is, no secret, that some prominent politicians, engulfed in their inordinate ambitions, have it high on their agenda, plans to play one tribe against the other.
Unfortunately, they have found in some chiefs willing tools to carry on with their dangerous plans.
The meeting of the Ga Mantse and the Asantehene, is a clear message to those politicians that they have seen through their tricks, and would therefore not allow themselves to be used.
In the view of the two traditional rulers, party politics is of no special interest to them and that “whichever political party is in power has the overriding authority and our responsibility as heads of traditional areas, is to ensure effective understanding among our people.”
This is the kind of spirit, we expect our traditional rulers to demonstrate among their people, in our efforts to build bridges among the various ethnic groups in the country.
The Times joins Otumfuo Osei Tutu and Nii Tackie Tawiah in expressing delight at the amiable relationship between them and pray that their people would emulate them, irrespective of their political affiliations.
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Comments
All chieftaincy cases are delicate matter,the Gas dont have Ga-Mantse yet,Dr. Joe Blankson-Lartey is creating confusion in the Ga-state,he himself is aware ,and knows very well that he is not enstooled by any Ga Djasetse,in our custom it is the dignity of the head of family to nominate the candidate,to the Djasetse and Djasetse will inform the adonten-hene,and the adonten-hene will inform the Abola Mantse together with Asere Mantse,then the Djasetse hand him over to the Seitse for customary rites then the Sakumo Wolomo will give him the spiritual hand band(AFILI), and Nai Wolomo will give his final blessing, Dr. Joe Blankson-Lartey has not gone through these rites, how then he called himself Ga Mantse, and went ahead to enstooled Mr. Bill Annan as Gbese Mantse,they are creating confusion to the native people of Gas.they live in london and share wall,so all that they are doing is a plot .they have collect huge sum of money in the Ga-community base in london with promise of giveing them land if they are made the signitories to the Ga land.They should not use their selfish ambition to tanished the image of Gas.That is not the proper way of the Gas to enstooled their Chief.Gbese Chieftaincy case start from 1980 when Nii Pessamanku died in london 1978,litigation went on from Ga-Traditional Council to Greater Accra Regional House of Chief (thats chieftaincy court) and Supreme Court affirm the decision in 17 february 2003.Mr. Bill Annan who has no locus standi, pass through the window by bribing 1of Justice Fosu-Quartey trial high court judge to make him chief of Gbese,by forgeting that high court has no juridition over chieftaincy matter,.Every day he is causing vandalism in the area ,they dont want peace to reign the Ga-state.(1)Which Gbese Djasetse enstooled him? (2)Which Chief Priest gave him the spiritual hand band(AFILI)?()Which House does he confine?)(5)DOES HE COME FROM THE THIRD ROYAL RULING HOUSE?. The native Gas have stand up for what is RIGHT TODAY, if help does not come ,we will all endure to an end, it is the season of our festive,and the ALMIGHTY GOD (THE LIGHT OF THE GAS)is watching sidom and gomorah.
