Ga Mantse Is Not King Says Castle

The No-Love-Lost relationship between the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Tawiah III and the government has worsened, with the pronouncement yesterday that the Presidency does not recognize his status as occupant of the Ga Stool. The pronouncement was made by the Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo, Nii Tackie Commey. In an interview with an Accra based radio station, the MP said until the position of the King is gazetted, he would not be recognized as such by the Presidency, adding that the raging disagreement over who is the rightful occupant of the Ga Stool has also informed the government action. Government, under such circumstances, is unable to invite members of the Ga Traditional Council for official functions. The MP quoted the Chieftaincy Act 759 Section 67(5), which, according to him, demands that until a chief is registered and gazette, he cannot be recognized as such. �I am saying where you have two people claiming ownership of one property, or one stool, do you think it will be appropriate if you were in that shoe to invite any of them. Which of them are you to invite?� he quizzed. The Ga Mantse�s Spokesperson, Nii Abbey, was not amused by the Presidency�s pronouncement, describing it as flawed. The Ga Mantse draws his authority, he averred, from a court ruling of 18th July 2008 which ruled that Nii Tackie Tawiah is the Ga Mantse and can therefore perform the rites which go with the position. He rubbished the position of the Presidency through the MP that because of an impression that there is an impasse surrounding the Ga chieftaincy, Nii Tackie Tawiah cannot attend functions as a Ga Mantse. He also debunked the oft-raised point that because the King was installed in the era of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, his installation was done by the erstwhile administration. Stretching the argument further, he noted that had that been the case, any chief installed in any part of the country during the tenure of the NDC can also be said to be politically motivated. The Ga Mantse was reported to have attributed the state of affairs to President John Evans Atta Mills� dependence on the advice of �Standard Seven Leavers� � a development which is making him (President) impervious to his real status as Ga Mantse. In reaction to his non invitation to official ceremonies, the Ga Mantse said they (Ga chiefs) would not sit down like fools for others to be invited for state functions held in the Ga State. The pronouncement from the Presidency is coming on the heels of a recently activated row between the Ga Traditional Council and government over the 160 acres land covering an area close to the Independence Square to the Arts Centre approximately. The said land, according to news reports, has been earmarked for the construction of a World Trade Centre, the brainchild of Togbe Afede, the King of Asogli State in the Volta Region. The Ga Traditional Council was reportedly peeved at the ceding of the said land to the Ho King without consulting them. The council found the development ironic, happening when the government has ostensibly touted plans to return lands in Accra to their appropriate owners (Ga Stool).