Accra: Ga Mashie Welcomes Newly Enstooled Ga Mantse

A major development ensued in the Ga traditional system last Friday when Dr King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II -known in private life as Dr. Kelvin Nii Tackie Abia Tackie – was enstooled Ga Mantse (King), thus ending the controversial occupancy of the stool by Nii Adama Latse.

His installation was carried out a day after another claimant to the Ga Mantse Stool, Nii Adama Latse, was inducted into the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs.

The elaborate procedure was carried out without commotion, though under heavy security, by kingmakers of the Ga Paramount Stool, including Dzaasetse, Dr. Nii Tetteh Kwei and the Ga Stool Father (Ga Seitse), Nii Tetteh Ashong V.

The enstoolment was preceded by the preparation of the stool house by the stool father – featuring the slaughtering of fowls and livestock – a cleansing exercise, according to the traditional authorities, since the place was illegitimately occupied.

This was followed by perhaps the most significant segment of the elaborate programme – the sitting on the Black Stool by the new king to signify his new authority.

For those who opposed the occupation of the Black Stool, which they regarded as illegitimate, the moment was that of exhilaration.

Those who had lost could only put up morose demeanour, unable to reverse what fate had visited.

The new king is a descendant of the legendary King Tackie Tawiah I.

King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, 46, hails from the Nii Teiko Tsuru We of the Akropong Royal House of the Ga Royal Stool, with his mother hailing from the Lantey Djan We/Naa Oyoe We of Abola Piam.

He holds an MBA in Strategic Management and Consulting from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) School of Business.

Earlier, the Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Dodoo Nsaki II – who is also the Otublohum Mantse – had issued a statement demanding of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs to reverse the induction of Nii Adama Latse as the Ga Mantse, bringing him into the fold of the council.

The President of the Council of Chiefs questioned the legitimacy of Nii Latse Adama as Ga Mantse, which according to him, “is still a subject pending before the court, and so his induction into the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs was null and void.”

There are a series of suits pending against his illegality to occupy the position of the Ga Mantse, he said in the statement, adding, “This is a breach of natural justice and fairness to the contending parties, which cases are pending before the Ga Traditional Council on the Djasetse suit, filed against Nii Yartey Otoga, purported kingmaker of Nii Adama Latse.”

The Ga Mantse is the head of the Ga Traditional Area, and if he is not accepted by the Ga Traditional Council, then his position is illegal.'

The Otublohum Mantse referred to the injunction by the high court not to induct Nii Adama Latse into its fold.

“The Ga Traditional Council, on 13th February, 2017, was duly ordered that its defendants be restrained from inducting Nii Adama Latse as Ga Mantse, and also restrained from transmitting his chieftaincy declaration forms for Gazette notification at the National House of Chiefs,” he asserted.

The Ga State has witnessed its worst chieftaincy tangle in recent history, with some four persons claiming to be the legitimate kings.

It would appear that a closure has been brought to bear on the issue, given the elaborate procedures which went into last Saturday's process.

A leading Ga personality, who craved anonymity – having been involved in the search for a lasting solution to the impasse – told DAILY GUIDE a few hours after the installation of the new king that “I was contacted and informed about the development. There is happiness in the Ga State that at last a closure has been brought to this fractious subject, which has threatened the peace of the nation's capital for far too long.”

The annual sprinkling of the traditional kpoikpoi – a function of authority by the Ga King – suffered security challenges over the years, because of the controversy surrounding the occupation of the Black Stool.

In a correspondence dated 20/10/2017, Nii Adama Latse expressed concern about efforts to oust him and enstool Dr. Kelvin Nii Tackie Abia as Ga Mantse.

He alleged in the statement that the efforts had the support of some government officials.

“We are further informed that there is a purported installation ceremony with dignitaries invited to partake during these same hours. We hereby bring this to your notice, considering the Public Order Act,” according to the statement.

The press release also referred to his induction, which procedure has been described as null and void by the Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Dodoo Nsaki II.