Police Take Over Gbese Palace

Inspector General of Police (IGP), COP Davide Asante Apeatu and the Accra Regional Police Command last week Monday, May 1, 2017, dispatched a team of police officers to officially cordon off the traditional palace of Gbese Mantse, located at Ga Mashie in Accra.

Information reaching The New Crusading GUIDE indicated that the guns- wielding police ejected all the family members of Nii Ayi Bonte who were leaving in the palace and put it under lock-and-key and begun guarding the palace twenty four (24) hours, every day.

The latest action by the police officers who have parked police armoured car at the main entrance of Gbese Mantse Palace, according to sources, was necessary to prevent Nii Ayi Bonte and his elders from entering the palace to perform traditional and customary rites in the palace which is currently under dispute.

The Greater Accra Regional Police Command Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Afia Tenge confirmed in an interview that the Service was aware its personnel had been ordered to take-over the Gbese Mantse Palace but refused to further comment on the matter.

It would be recalled that on April 2009, the substantive Gbese Mantse, Nii Okaija III, a faction laying claim to the palace was been forcibly moved out from the palace by Nii Ayi Bonte's feuding faction.

This development, according to media reports had resulted in the violence allegedly orchestrated by Nii Ayi Bonte's feuding faction, leading to the loss of lives and destruction of valuable properties.

Police sources have revealed to this paper that Nii Ayi Bonte on Saturday May 6, 2017 forced himself to the palace of Gbese Mantse to perform customs of sowing of the corn, the Ga traditional rite which is performed before Homowo festivities.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Ishmael Ashitey has been fully informed of this unfortunate event of Nii Ayi Bonte.

According to our sources, Nii Ayi Bonte had persistently ignored the restraining order by the court with impunity and went ahead recently to hold a press conference in his capacity as Gbese Mantse and Adonten of the Ga State to place a ban on the drumming and noise making in the Ga State.

This arrogant posture of Nii Ayi Bonte, sources indicated, had informed the decision of the law enforcement agency, who moved in and took over the Gbese Mantse Palace to stop him from entering the palace to perform any traditional customary rites again.

The sources were of the view that allowing Nii Ayi Bonte to continue to breach the Chieftaincy law and traditional norms of the Ga State would create chaos at Ga Mashie in Accra, since the restraining order from court warning Nii Ayi Bonte not to hold himself as Gbese Mantse still on hold.

Additionally, the sources asserted that Nii Ayi Bonte has even enstooled George Tackie Adama Latse as another Ga Mantse while he was under the restraining order at the time when the real Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tawiah III was in office.

Meanwhile, chiefs, elders and concerned citizens of Ga State who spoke to this paper on condition of anonymity could not hide their joy for the throwing out of Nii Ayi Bonte and his family from the palace.

Many of the indigenes of Accra applauded Inspector General of Police and Greater Accra Regional Police Commander for allowing the rule of law to work now in Ga State in order to forestall peace and harmony.

The top hierarchies of the Ghana Police Service, according to the people of Ga State deserved recommendation.

"This is because how is it that Thomas Okai aka Nii Ayi Bonte who does not hail from a Royal House of Gbese; and was unlawfully enstooled several months in the time that the rightful Gbese Mantse Nii Okaidja III is in office has ignored a Restraining Order from court not to hold himself Gbese Mantse,"they asked.

This Restraining Order, according to them was confirmed by the acting President of Ga Traditional Nii Dodoo Nsaki in his letter dated May 5, 2011.

They pointed out that the same restraining order was also further confirmed by the High Court presided over by His Lordship Ofori Atta in February 2012, but "Nii Ayi Bonte still holding himself out as Gbese Mantse and making press conferences at the very Ga Traditional Council which he helped to desecrate."