Gbese Palace changes hands

The family of Nii Tetteh Ahinakwah II, Gbese Dzaasetse have taken possession of the Gbese Mantse Palace at Ga Mashie, amid jubilation by the People.

Gbese is one of the seven principal divisions of the State.

This follows the execution of a writ of possession by High Court Bailiffs and policemen who opened the palace, which had been closed since April 28, 2007.

The handing over of the palace to the family paves the way for Nii Ayibonte II, known in private life as Tommy Okine, one of the claimants to the Gbese stool to occupy the palace, which has been a subject of litigation.

The bailiffs and about 10 armed policemen opened the palace at about 6am and took inventory of the items before handing it over.

Nii Tetteh Ahinakwah filed a motion for an order for possession against the family of Nii Ayitey Agbofu II, the late Gbese Mantse, and Nii Ayi who has been substituted in the suit by Nii Armah Quaye.

The order for the writ of possession was granted by Mrs Justice Felicity Amoah, on May 22, 2007.

Soon after it was handed over, members of the Nii Arday Akwa and Nii Tetteh Ahinakwah families started clearing debris at the palace which was vandalised as a result of attacks by rival families last month.

The palace was shut on April 28, 2007 by the police after two factions claiming the right to the Gbese Stool clashed over its occupation.

The clash came in the wake of the installation of Mr Okine, Chief Executive of Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club as Gbese Mantse, the second to be installed for the same stool. The other claimant is Nii Okaija III.

Nii Bi Kwei Onukpa, spokesman for the Nii Arday Akwa We, the principal royal house mandated to instal Gbese Mantse, commended the High Court for the order, saying it upholds the rule of law.

“We will always uphold the truth through legitimate means,” he said. Nii Okaija told the Times however that the action of the Nii Tetteh Ahinakwa's family “is illegal” since another court judgement indicates that the palace should be handed to the Akwetey Krobo Saki We, one of the three ruling royal houses of Gbese.

The other two are Penshaiku We and Nii Tetteh Ankamah We.

Nii Okaija, who has already sworn the oath of allegiance to the Ga Mantse, king Tackie Tawiah III, and accepted into membership of the Ga Traditional Council, said his family has handed over the palace to Akwetey Krobo Sake We as demanded by custom, adding that, a judgement of a High Court presided by Justice Isaac Lartey Young, also on May 22, indicated that “our action was appropriate.”

He maintained that Akua Onidin We where Nii Ayibonte hails from is not a ruling house and therefore the palace could not have been handed to that house.

Source: The Ghanaian Times