Ga State affairs... Another claimant pops up

The confusion surrounding the rightful heir to the Ga Stool was deepened when an event to introduce Nii Tackie Oblie II as another claimant to the Stool was disrupted by some angry youth in Accra on Wednesday.

The swift intervention of the police at a press conference held by the Abola Piam (Tunma We) Royal House, one of the four royal houses of the Ga State, averted what could have been a bloody clash between the supporters of Nii Oblie and some youth of Ga Mashie.

The angry youth, wielding machetes, threw bottles, stones and other offensive weapons at the elders and rained insults on them, saying that their behaviour of introducing one chief after another had tarnished the reputation of all Gas.

Almost all the young men and women managed to escape, but the police arrested one of them whose name was not given to the press.

The attempt to introduce the new claimant to the Ga Stool came barely three days after a new Ga Mantse had been inducted into the Ga Traditional Council.

Swift intervention

Addressing the press in Accra on Wednesday, Nii Ofoli Gakpo II, the Head of Abola Piam We, called on Ghanaians to treat the new installation with the contempt it deserved.

He declared the recent installation of a New Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru, and all other claimants to the Ga Stool as null and void.

Nii Gakpo said interestingly, both Nii Adama Latse and Nii Teiko Tsuru were from the same house, the Teiko Tsuru We, and both were claiming what did not belong to them.

He said the Abola Piam (Tunma We) Royal House had, for the past 13 years, resorted to peaceful means to resolve the kingship impasse.

Read also: One land, two lords as another Ga Mantse is installed

Peace means

“Our resolve towards peaceful means to the impasse had, however, been taken to mean our weakness and, although we are by no means a riotous people, we will no longer sit down for the course of history to be distorted and our lineage erased,” he said.

He said trust in the elders of the house to do the right thing had eroded, especially in the Ga Dzaasetse, Nii Tetteh Kwei II, who had demonstrated, time and again, that he could not be trusted or counted upon to bring peace to the Ga State and restore it to its former glory.

The Abola Piam We, Nii Gakpo said, would take it no longer, adding: “We will rise and claim what rightfully belongs to us.”

Background

In February this year, the king makers of the Abola Piam We of the Ga State installed Nii Tackie Obli as the Ga Mantse, bringing to four the number of claimants to the stool since the demise of Ga Mantse Boni Nii Amugi II in 2004.

The Abola Piam king makers indicated that Nii Obli was the legitimate chief of the Ga State, thereby nullifying the reign of the late King Tackie Tawiah II, known in private life as Dr Jo Blankson, and the current Ga Mantse, Boni Nii Tackie Adama Latse II.

Ayittey Canada (now deceased) and Dr Kelvin Tackie Abia also laid claim to the stool.

According to Nii Okai Osiahene IV, the Stool Father of the Abola Piam We, their action was precipitated by the fact that they represented the right house to nominate and install a chief for the Ga State after the demise of Nii Amugi, a right which he said was usurped by the Nii Teiko Tsuru We.