First Lady Mrs Rebeca Akufo-Addo has come under heavy criticism for donating to one faction in a chief dispute as part of her effort to join the people of Ga in marking the Annual Homowo festival.

However, her donation is perceived to speak volume than necessary, as the other ‘warring’ factions are highly concern with why and how she decided to recognise an illegitimate person as chief and going extend of donating to him in that capacity.

This was contained in press release issued by “Office of the Ga Mantse” and signed by the Ga Paramount Stool Dzaase led by Nii Yaotey Oto-Ga II and send to media firms as well as copied to the Chief of Staff, Minister for Chieftaincy, Cultural and Religious Affairs, Greater Accra Regional Minister and the Mayor of Accra, decries the unfairness on the part of Mrs Akufo-Addo.  

According to Nii Dzaase, it has come to their notice that Mrs Akufo-Addo made donations to some chiefs of Ga Mashie to towards the Annual Homowo Festival but “whilst we appreciate and commend her for the kind gesture. We wish to express our displeasure towards the First Lady for presenting some of the donations to one Dr Kelvin Tackie (aka Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru) in the capacity of Ga Mantse, when there is already a legitimate gazetted Ga Maane in the person of Boni King Tackie Adams Latse II.”           

He said if tradition is anything to go by or in the same reason, laws are to be respected, Boni Nii Tackie Adams Latse II, was installed Ga Mantse on June 11, 201 l, his name was approved and entered into the National Register of Chiefs on April 24, 2015 and further published in the Chieftaincy Bulletin Vol. 2 No.1 in November 2015.

He pointed out that Boni King Tackie Adams Latse II has also been a Member of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs since October 12, 20l 7, therefore does not understand the difficulty of one identifying with who is the traditional head of the Ga people.

“This development has been communicated to the Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, Hon. Kofl Dzamesi and the Greater Accra Regional Minister Hon. Ishmael Ashitey since April 9, 2018, with extracts of the National Register of Chiefs attached upon a request at an Emergency Meeting with the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs on the March 16, 2018.

“It is therefore, shocking for not a less person than the First Lady to lead a delegation to present donations to an illegitimate self-styled Ga Mantse, an act that has brought the dignity and respect of Boni King Tackie Adama Latse II and the Ga Paramount Stool into disrepute and ridicule,” he laments.

By Akutu Dede Adimer