Ga Chiefs Kick Against Regional Minister’s Directive

The Dzasetse of the Ga Paramount Stool, Nii Yartey Otoga, has strongly kicked against orders from the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ishmael Ashitey, that seek to restrict to ritual outdoor sprinkling of Kpokpoi this Homowo season.

Per the directives of the Minister, the chiefs and people of Ga Manse are to perform their annual ritual in indoors – thus each household is to carry out the sprinkling within the confines of their homes – a condition which is contrary to Ga custom. “This is contrary to Ga custom and an abomination to [the] culture of the Ga people,” he said.

The development, according to him, was clear evidence of political meddling in traditional and chieftaincy affairs of the Ga State, since the Minister's decision was politically motivated, as it failed to recognise the legitimacy of Nii Tackie Adam Latse II as Paramount Chief of the Ga State.

He indicated that it was the second time politicians in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have interfered in determining who should be Ga Mantse.

Nii Yatey Otoga, addressing a charged media conference in Accra yesterday, made it crystal clear that the people of Ga are gearing up, and that they can no longer stand the excessive political interferences and meddling in their chieftaincy issues.

“Our patience, as a people, has a limit…We are running out of patience. We will not sit down to be told what we should do at Christmas and at Homowo. As a stool has no political attachments, so are we,” the Dzasetse fumed.

In a voluminous speech he read, he alleged that Minister Ishmeal Ashitey, Director Operations at the Presidency Lord Commey and former Accra Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive and Member of the Counsel of State Stanly Adjiri Blankson for masterminding political interference in Ga chieftaincy affairs.

According to him, though the Greater Regional House of Chiefs and National House of Chiefs had admitted the legitimacy of Nii Tackie Adama Latse II as Overlord of the Ga State, however, on October 2017, one Kelvin Tackie, with assistance from some state actors, was also installed King.

He said as a result of these happenings, Nii Tackie Adama Latse II was prevented occupancy of the Ga Palace and the Stool House, however, and threatened that no matter what it may cost them, they will enter the stool to perform all the necessary rituals ahead of the festival.

Nii Dazsetse argued that if the Regional Minister failed to adhere to the rulings of the High Court that sought to direct Ishmael Ashitey to allow King Tackie Adama Latse II and the Counsel for the Ga Paramount Stool entry to the Palace, why does he expect them to respect his orders, saying, “the Regional Minister refused to open the Palace, and his excuse was that a second Ga Mantse had been installed.

“This forced the Ga Dzasetse to file a writ at the High Court on March 26, 2018 against the Regional Minister, Stanley Adjiri Blankson, and Lord Commey closing the Ga Mantse Palace and taking over the Stool House,” he lamented.

He said since President Akufo Addo has made it clear that he has no interest in chieftaincy affairs, “The Ga Stool has no political colours, and, therefore, we will resist vigorously, and with our lives, any attempt, no matter where it emanates from, to ascribe any political colours to the Ga Stool. Our patience, I repeat, has limits.”