Peace, unity and development vital to Ga State

We would like to congratulate the La Traditional Council and the people of La on organising a very fitting and peaceful funeral for Nii Dr Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III.

The successful organisation of the funeral bears testimony to the legacy of peace which Nii Kpobi Tsuru bequeathed his people and the La State.

Throughout his 30-year reign, Nii La did well to bring unity and peace to La, which laid the foundation for many development projects and infrastructure to be built in La.

And all that found expression in the way and manner the elders of the La Traditional Area, the various clan heads and the people rallied together to give their leader a very befitting burial, without any rancour nor acrimony.

No wonder the funeral attracted Ghanaians from all walks of life, who took part in the various customary practices.

Now Ghana and the world expect the peace at La to be sustained as plans and processes for his successor are ongoing.

The Daily Graphic calls for the full cooperation of all stakeholders and traditional rulers, with the common objective of choosing a successor who will build on the peace and development which is prevailing.

The choice of the rightful successor to the La throne is vey important because when it comes to succession in many traditional areas within the Ga State, the king makers, for some selfish and whimsical reasons, circumvent time-honoured procedures and customs and select people who do not qualify.

There is no denying the fact that many of the chieftaincy disputes that have plagued the Ga State can be attributed to the enstoolment of wrong people as chiefs in some traditional areas. This situation has degenerated into tension and violence in some Ga towns, leading to maiming and even death.

Unfortunately, some of these unfortunate incidents have hindered the development of the Ga State, as a lot of resources and energy are expended in the law courts and the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs over the appointment of the rightful traditional chiefs and elders.

Instead of working together to fight illiteracy, poverty and social vices, energies and resources are rather used in unproductive ways, thereby sacrificing the future development of the youth and unborn generations.

The point needs to be made that the well-being and interest of the Ga State is of prime concern to every well-meaning Ghanaian because of its geographical location. As the host of the national capital, ministries, departments and agencies and all state institutions, it is important that peace prevails in the region to allow for unprecedented development.

The Daily Graphic implores the various paramount chiefs in the Greater Accra Region to work together through the Regional House of Chiefs to promote peace and unity in the region to allow for the proper development of the region. Development can only take place in areas where there is peace and unity and, therefore, we appeal to all the warring factions and warmongers to desist from those acts.

We suggest that the chiefs and elders must call out some of their fellow chiefs and elders who find joy and gain in violence and turbulence to put a stop to those acts and work in the collective good of the people in the region.

It is time the chiefs and the traditional leaders instituted peer review mechanisms that promote peace, unity and progress in the region.

There is a lot to learn from the departed Nii Kpobi Tsuru III who, like the master of a ship, steered La into calm waters for peace to prevail in the traditional area for the 30 odd years he reigned as La Mantse, to the admiration of the entire nation.