Instituting constitutional monarch in Ghana as the head of state and ending tyranny of the security forces: returning to original africracy where governmental power resides with traditional rulers

Ghana not having a constitutional monarchy is a great constitutional aberration that needs immediate rectification. Ghana would have being a better place if Kings and Chiefs were having real governmental power like it was before the country was colonized.

Let me reiterate the fact that Africracy is Ghana's indigenous democracy as practice by the traditional rulers. It is high time as a country we return to its fundamental pillars underpinning how the populace are governed. Countries, where Monarchs are in charge, are the best democracies worldwide eg UK, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Spain, Morrocco etc.

The story of Ghana would have being different if the colonial authorities had returned power to the original rulers. The British merged 3 territories namely: Gold Coast, Ashanti Territory and Northern Protectorate into one polity with Nkrumah later lobbying the Western Transvolta Togoland to join it into present day Ghana. During independence the British should have given the country the option to reverse to the various territorial segments or make the traditional rulers take charge.

I strongly believe if that was the case then Ghana today would have being Heaven on Earth as our indigineous democracy of Africracy that had being in practice before the colonial rulers emerged on the scene would be maximize to accelerate development of every citizen of the land and their human dignity held sacrosanct.

In the efforts towards the realization of instituting a Monarch in Ghana to be the Head of State whereby real governmental power is returned to the Kings and Chiefs of Ghana, Prime Minister Busia's regime of Ghana's second republic contributed the most. With his background as a royal of Wenchi and his intellectual works especially his PhD thesis at Oxford University, UK which focus on Ghana's traditional governance system as well as his scholarly works at Sociology Department as first black professor of University of Ghana, Legon, Prime Minister Busia greatly appreciated the need for the political administration of Ghana to be handled by the original administrators of the land i.e. the Kings and Chiefs.

Whiles I appreciate the great efforts he made to cement Ghana's monarchical system by for instance resolving the issue of his close friend and my maternal grandfather, Nana Kwesi Ansu-Gyeabour (ex-Krontihene: second-in-command King of Dormaa Kingdom, chief of Wamfie a.k.a. Mansinhene and father of my mother call Afia Ansu), I can say he lacked the sufficient political will to institute a constitutional structure for a Ghana Monarch. Instead, he made arrangements for himself, a Wenchi royal, to be the Prime Minister (Head of Government) and in place of a King as Head of State, made Edward Akuffo-Addo (father of the current President) who is a Kyebi royal as Head of State. Ghana had for the first time a bicephalous executive with both heads being members of the country's monarchical system.

Ghana's security forces are forcing me to join politics so I either work for any of the political parties but of preference to them is National Democratic Congress (NDC) and not the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Just like Busia, Akuffo Addo Snr and Akuffo Addo Jnr were members of the Ghanaian monarchical system but integrated into the partisan political class and eventually occupying the top office of the country, they want me to do same and serve the state in that capacity than pursuing any international career agenda.

A return of governmental power to traditional rulers will end the situation whereby Ghana's modern state security forces and non-monarchical politicians persecute, marginalized, repress and undermine members of the country's monarchical system like what happened between Ghana's first President Kwame Nkrumah and my maternal grandfather, Nana Kwesi Ansu-Gyeabour who was hitherto his close friend but broke ranks with him. My maternal grandfather by the way was actually the man who introduced the idea for the Bonos or Brongs (traditional Ashantis) and the Ahafos to secede from Ashanti confederacy of which later on President Nkrumah with support of my maternal grandfather's counsin who was King of Dormaa Kingdom by name Nana Agyemang Badu I (PhD holder from Oxford University, UK and grand uncle of the current King of Dormaa Kingdom, Nana Agyemang Badu II who also is a PhD holder from Oxford University, UK) made it a reality by creating the Brong-Ahafo Region in 1959.

Their acts also includes what has happened to me 10 years now and counting as Ghana's security force deliberately fabricated a plethora of allegations against me in 2010 simply to force me to join politics and block me from having any international appointment as they will claim I do not have security clearance to take any international appointment or even pursue my PhD studies. They intended also by their frame-up's to incite the following against me:

Ghana's traditional authorities that I am connected with (Berekum of my mother's mother as they reopen my mother's case on me, Ashanti-Agona of my father's father as well as Dormaa of my mother's father),

Government of Ghana, My school Webster University, My direct family members,

My friends, My former organization SOS Children's Villages-Ghana and,

Tiger Eye PI.

Ghana's secuirty forces aided by some politicians are in a secret power struggle with traditional rulers. The Ghanaian media abounds with lots of cases where the country's so-called intelligence unit (BNI), has on a number of occassions repress law abiding chiefs and their family members simply in an act to show them where modern power lies. Our undermining, repression, persecution and marginalization has now become the norm.

People are wondering how Ghana can have a single Monarch since there are couple of Kings in Ghana. Is simple! I proposed this idea. The top Kingdoms of Ghana will constitute the royal family of Ghana with the Kings rotating the Monarch position. The Monarch of Ghana will simply be Primus Inter Pares (first among equals). The 7 Kings from the following Kingdoms or traditional states will be:

Ashanti, Dormaa, Kyebi, Akwamu, Ga-Adangbe, Asogli and,

Dagbon.

They will remain as Kings of their various Kingdoms but one of them will serve as Ghana Monarch and after following a constitutional structure move to another King or Kingdom till all the 7 Kings have their turn and the rotation starts again. A King will remain King of his Kingdom and when it gets to his turn automatically assumes the role of Ghana Monarch hence exercising dual positions as King of his Kingdom and King of Ghana.

The 7 Kings of Ghana and their royal families will then constitute the Ghana royal family with 7 royal gates to the Ghana Monarch throne. Succession to the throne will be rotational like is done in the UN and National House of Chiefs. It will be enshrined in the constitution.

The Constitutional Monarch can be achieved via both 2/3 parliamentary approval followed by a referendum. A new constitution can be drafted or the old one amended to that effect. I urge all Ghanaians to begin the agitation for a Monarchical system of governance to become the country's main governance system and not the vice versa as is the status quo since is the best form of democracy i.e. Africracy, in realizing the aspirations of the masses. The Ghanaian traditional system of Africracy is the only avenue for truly developing the human and physical infrastructure of Ghana.

When the colonial rulers merged the 3 various territories into a single modern state of which the new construct was maintained into independence, the various traditional states where made to abolished its security force system. They were all to operate through the security force system of the modern state. This power shift weakened the strength of the traditional rulers tremendously. Hitherto, the traditional authorities maintained their own standing Army commonly known as the Asafo. The Asafo was led by the King during times of war and assisted by the Krontihene (second-in-command King) as the commander of the Army. There were additional divisional commanders headed by divisional chiefs working under the jurisdiction of the King controlling various strategic segments of the Army. That is all the commanders of the Army from the top to the lowest were all members of the chieftaincy system ensuring total ownership of the security force system as they are integral part of it. It was only the real fighters that were not part of the chieftaincy system. This prevented a situation where a section of the Army would organize themselves and claim superiority over the King and overthrow the monarchical system as the modern governance system has produce in France and Ethiopia. That is not all as there were in existence an effective policing system, internal and external intelligence unit etc.

With the current modern governance system, traditional authorities have being rendered powerless depending totally on the modern state secuirty force to operate. This has made the security force gods over the traditional rulers and their families blatantly violating their fundamental human rights with impunity. Something which they invariably exonerates themselves from by fabricating stories to enable them use the camouflage terms of "national security issue" and "investigation" against them. This exactly what is going on in my life 10 years now and counting. Ghana's security force system is just a joke! What we are failing to recognize as a people is that the greatness or otherwise of a country is totally dependent on its security force system. All the great countries we know of are such because of its security force system. We have failed as a people to recognize this allowing school drop outs, empty headed people, narcotics induced minds, vagabonds and street thugs to make it their preferred profession and later claim power over anybody in the country including the elected government and traditional rulers. They even wield absolute control over all the countries resources such as the state weapons, strategic state apparatus and state financial resources.

Compare this to other countries even in other African countries and you discover that the same standard use for entering the law, medical, engineering, banking etc profession is the one use for its police, military and other security sectors. Hence the high level of professionalism and utmost respect for human dignity and rule of law they exhibit at all times. I simply could not believe my ears when somewhere around 2005/2006, a top police officer brag to my face at the Police Head Quarters in Osu, Accra that they are responsible for the missing cocaine at the Head Quarters and President Kufuor and his government cannot do them anything! Incredible power! The officer claim they cannot watch a cocaine with street value of millions of dollars to be sitting there watching them. That is tyranny of the Ghana Police at its best. I had gone to the Police Head Office to do an enquiry. And truly these police officers were never arrested. To prove their power over both elected governments and traditional rulers, the incident happened again during President Atta Mills tenure as another cocaine went missing at the Police Head Office. What concert governance?And this what traditional authorities with the pursuit of its own kind of democracy call Africracy would not ever produce. Never! Like where and how? Traditional rule of Africracy is solid, resolute and citizen driven. And reflects truly ex-President Jerry Rawslings ideals of PATI (Probity, Accountability, Transparency and Integrity).

What the security force in Ghana have managed to successfully achieve in recent years is to deceptively use the twin terms of "national security issue/threat"and "investigation" to camouflage any of their activities of parochial interest to them. This tactic has ensured they always overpower any elected government and traditional governors as they are erroneously considered to know what is best for the country leaving the country at their mercy. What they fail to recognize is they are and remain the number one national security threat to the country and an evil force to Ghanaians both home and in the diaspora. Whatever is the politico-socio-economic and security woes of Ghana, it is cause and sustained by the security forces. Is incredible that Ghana is the only country in the world where its security forces views witchcraft and paganism as additional ways to science in managing state security. As I have expressed the point already, a country is whatever it is either good or bad because of its security force system.

Let me do a comparative analysis of the security force system of Ghana and Nigeria. Nigeria because of its socio-cultural-geographic proximity to Ghana as well as sharing similar colonial masters. Also, because I was there for political refuge for 4 years. The world ignorantly believe Ghana is ahead of Nigeria in terms of democratic credentials. That is a big lie!Nigeria believes in open repression whiles Ghana believes in secret/covert repression. Common denominator here is repression. Ghana has a popular adage that goes like this "let hide our own and reveal others". Ghana's security force say they have a national policy for all citizens to comply with in giving Ghana a clean international image and that is no citizen should criticize the country but rather should join a political party and criticize the opposing party. Ghana's security force claim Ghana is a poor country and since international image/reputaton of the country is tied to international aid and foreign direct investment, they will wage war on anyone they perceive in their infantile minds to be tarnishing the image of the country.

Is similar to an organization's reputation which is correlated to customer share and increment. According to Ghana's Security force, Nigeria is rich and hence do not care about any reputational protection. But Ghana cannot afford to loose it good reputation which insiders like us know is all fake. Ghana's security force will go to any extent to punish anyone including going after any person in any country the person goes and even covertly killing the person using the country's intelligence unit call Bureau of National Investigation (BNI). Consider this issue currently ensuing in Nigeria where the citizens took to social media to expose the activities of a security unit long before the shooting of the protestors at Ikoye in Lagos. Now cmpare similar efforts I made on the brutality and repression of the BNI on Facebook. The BNI embark on a cyber warfare with me making Facebook to disable my account and ban me completely. What a difference between 2 squares?

Again let consider asylum applications. According to Ghana's Security Force anyone from Ghana that seeks asylum amount to tarnishing the country's international image since the international community will regard that as being the result of poor governance and lack of effective state security structures to protect the citizen in a democratic dispensation. And accordingly, the country's force will wage a relentless war on the fellow like in my case. They will go to the extent of using state resources to discredit your story and identity and may even claim another nationality for you that you are a Nigerian, Gambian, Ugandan or Ivorian so that the name Ghana does not appear anywhere in the international community circles. But Nigeria never does that.

In any country I go to seek for political asylum, they will say but Ghana is a democracy so even though they are threatening your life go and use the democratic process to address your issue. Some also say you are the only Ghanaian we have ever seen seeking for political asylum. The point is everything is staged. There are many Ghanaian political asylum seekers from the hands of the security forces notably BNI like myself but have being further repressed, tormented, discredited and forced to use another country's nationality and different story. The brutal BNI has taken advantage of the anarchy nature of the international system to enjoy a field day in pursuing the political asylum seekers from Ghana. Again, this is something Nigeria never does.

What Ghana's security force is doing to me and others like me seeking political asylum can be likened to those big multi-national corporations which degrade the environment to maximize profit and when concerned citizens voice it out are targeted and repressed for tarnishing the organization's reputation which will in turn adversely impacts on their market performance. So my thesis here is that if seeking political asylum tarnishes Ghana's international image, why then that they are refusing to stop destroying the dignity of citizens and violating their fundamental human rights like they plotted against me and carried through it till date? They want international rewards whiles they carry through with negative activities on citizens.

Ghana's security force notably the BNI which is modelled after its mentor the Russian KGB prefers to repress and kill Ghanaian citizens secretly in an operation call clandestine or covert operation and state terrorism. Nigeria on the other hand does their own openly like the world just witnessed at Ikoye in Lagos.

I remember in 2007 when President Kufuor (who by the way was the class mate of my paternal grandfather at Prempeh College School in Kumasi by name Nana Kwame Osei-Tutu of Ashanti-Agona) was planning to leave office as he completes his second tenure in 2008, desired to establish something that will immortalize his name and regime in Ghana for good. He decided on redenomination of the country's currency, the Cedi. In the same vein, I want to entreat President Akuffo-Addo Jnr that when he wins the upcoming elections for a second tenure to not only replicate President Kufour but do something surpassing the accomplishments of all the Heads of States and Heads of Government of Ghana both civilian and military. And to me there are 3 recommendations that if he gathers political will to execute will totally sky rocket the country to the moon.

These are:

1. Institute a constitutional monarch in Ghana to be the country's Head of State which will lead to the return of real governmental power to traditional rulers and end the tyranny of the security forces. From the time of K. A. Busia and Akuffo-Addo Snr, there had never being any pragmatic effort towards realization of this political administration in the country. I believe President Akuffo-Addo Jnr is the only hope for strengthening Ghana's monarchical system since he himself is a member i.e. a Kyebi royal. His presidency keeps this dream of ours alive. And by adopting a constitutional monarchy system of governance in Ghana after the second term of President Akuffo Addo Jnr will make him the last non-Monarch Head of State of Ghana although he and his father for being Kyebi royals technically gave the country a semblance of a quasi-monarch Head of State sort of.

2. Change the name of the country to Ashanti. It is really pathetic that in selecting a name for the new state during independence, Ancient Ghana was preferred over Ancient Ashanti. Which of the two is idiosyncratic to the people? People of Ghana are more recognize easily internationally by the Ashanti name than even the name Ghana. Let anyone even google "King of Ghana" and the result you get is "King of Ashanti". In the educational curricula of Western countries, Ancient Ashanti's history is studied in their schools. Ancient Ghana is no where to be found. So the West even regards Ancient Ashanti over Ancient Ghana but we that owns the name do not even value what we have. A globally famous US female artist even uses the name as her stage name simply to pay homage to such ancient ethnic grouping in Ghana. The Ashanti ethnic grouping encompasses traditional Ashantis and modern Ashantis. The traditional Ashantis are the Bonos or Brongs and the traditional Akans, Ashantis and Twi-speakers of which all Akans, Ashantis and Twi-speakers traces their roots. The modern Ashantis simply refers to the people living in the political region of Ghana call Ashanti region. Nothing more! This means the term Ashanti is all embracing to the people as majority of them share in the name. It is very indigenous as well to the people. Come to think of it, the other minority ethnic groupings in Ghana also appreciate the value the name Ashanti bring on board and will gladly support any political effort to adopt it as the new country's name. Let consider the name Holland. Originally, Holland only comprised Amsterdam, Hague, Leiden and Rotterdam. Since Holland was the most successful Kingdom, during independence the name was extended to the rest of the territories and a new name also adopted known as Netherlands. Ghana should have done same but it is not late. We can have both names of Ashanti and Ghana.

3. Making a design out of kente as our new national flag. This again is indigenous and idiosyncratic to the people. Just look at how Kente is globally recognized, universally accepted and internationally use but only few knows we are the originators. We are losing great value for nothing. This an area we can cut a niche for the country and make great international value with no stress. This current flag of colours call Pan African colours serves no good. As a matter of fact one finds it cumbersome to identify our flag in the mist of other African flags. And if it is about the black star, we are not the only African country using black star, check flag of Somaliland. Same colours and concept rearrange but the logic is outdated and irrelevant to our time.

Although it is not only commoners that are members of the modern Ghana state authorities, it is driven virtually by commoners especially those in the security force who see themselves to be superior or more powerful to traditional rulers. A few members of the traditional authorities class have integrated with the modern authorities class. The current President, Prime Minister Busia and President Edward Akuffo Addo are examples of members of the traditional rulers class joining the modern rulers group. Before the colonial master's took over the management of the almost the entire land call Ghana, various parts of it were ruled by traditional rulers practising real Africracy which is the original democracy in Africa. The people experience real governance, rich leadership, promotion of human welfare and dignity of all man. These democratic virtues are paramount to traditional rulership and form its primary defining character.

By Osei-Tutu, Kennedy (a.k.a. Kofi Rawlings)

International Status: Political Asylum Seeker since 2012 Current Location: Dakar, Senegal Profession: Freelance Consultant Tel: +221 776787625 (No. without a phone) E:mail: [email protected] Skype: Ken osei tutu PhD: In view since 2012 with 5 admissions MA: Webster University, Leiden, Netherlands: International NGOs-2011 BA (Hons.): University of Ghana, Legon (Commonwealth Hall of Residence: Vandal City), Accra-Ghana: Psychology with Sociology-2004 Presec-Legon, Accra-Ghana-1998 Staff Village School-Legon, Accra-Ghana-1995