GA MANTSE STOOL IN THE MUD

It is very ridiculous for a whole Ga mantse to be attacked two times in a week. Every reader cannot help but to agree with me more that such impunity attacks on the Ga chief’s palace could not have happened on both the Okyenhene and asantehene’s palaces. My uncle used to tell me that the good old Kyebi could not develop much because Kyebi the seat of the okyenhene was so dreadful and fearful that whenever he had to pass through Kyebi to Kumasi, he was very scared, and if he does he had to speed off immediately he gets to Kyebi for the fear that he might be captured and subsequently decapitated. Such was how dreadful Kyebi and continues to be and therefore cannot imagine one daring to go to the Ofori Panin fie to cause mayhem.

These unwarranted attacks on the Ga mantse confirm how the Ga people in general disregard their chief. One may say he is not the rightful heir to the Ga stool, whether this true or false, this assertion does not call for such attacks on the occupant of the stool because such attacks does not only disgrace the current Ga chief but the stool itself, the chieftaincy institution and the entire Ghanaian populace especially the Ga people. It is very true that the okyenhene and asantehene’s stools are not in dispute but who says everybody in okyeman or asanteman agrees to their occupancy. In okyeman am told some of the kingmakers disagreed to the nomination of Amoatia Ofori Panin as he is the direct brother of the late Osagyefuo Kuntunkunuku. In Asanteman am also told some kingmakers disagreed to the nomination of Osei Tutu as he is the biological son of the Asantehemaa .In  Akan traditions it is the only the ‘ohemaa’(queen mother)who can reprimand a chief so for the asantehene to be the son of the Asantehemaa some kingmakers were concerned how the asantehemaa was going to play such a role when she doubles as the mother of the occupant of the golden stool .From these findings one can say that not everybody in okyeman or asanteman agrees to the occupancy of the current okyenhene or asantehene but these opponents have held their peace or better still buried their differences after the installation of these two most prominent traditional rulers. So why can’t the opponents of the Ga mantse do same for the sake of peace and progress of the Ga state and the country as whole? 

Chieftaincy disputes only retards development as not only does the reputation of such stools in conflict dwindle but resources for development are spent in the law courts for the settlement of such disputes which involves contracting lawyers among others. Successes chalked by the Asantehene and Okyenhene in their endeavours over the years could not have been possible if they were being dragged to court over their occupancy of the golden and Ofori Panin stools respectively. Have these detractors of the Ga mantse ever wondered why the okyenhene and asantehene command such high respect that they are always being invited to chair or grace programmes? Have these opponents of the Ga chief wondered why the asantehene and okyenhene are able to secure funding internationally for their programmes? It is about time these people realised that their unwarranted deeds are only draining the Ga mantse stool in the mud. A stitch in time they say saves nine!

Ayekoo, Okyenhene and Asantehene

I wish to congratulate these two great and prominent traditional  Akan rulers of our time Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II for their enormous contributions to the development of their respective traditional areas and Ghana as a whole since their coronation as Asantehene and Okyenhene respectively a decade ago.

The achievements of these two personalities cannot be overlooked as they both mark their 10th anniversary of ascending the noble throne of Okyenhene in the case of Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II and Asantehene in the case of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. For his part, the Asantehene has not only launched the Otumfuo Educational fund to cater for the educational needs of poor but brilliant students in Asanteman who hitherto could not afford quality education as a result of poverty but have also embarked on a number of benevolence activities which includes donating to Kumasi children’s home, feting street children among others. Asantehene has also played a role and still plays a role in ensuring peace in some parts of the northern region by chairing the committee formed by the erstwhile government to settle conflicts in the affected parts of the northern region. Other achievements of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II include providing a levelling playing field for all the political parties that contested in the 2008 general election by not aligning himself to any of the political parties as some other chiefs did and continue to do even after the elections.

For his part, the Okyenhene in the past decade has also demonstrated his great leadership through a special care for the environment by establishing the Okyenman environmental foundation to protect the environment through afforestation campaigns, establishment of okyenman forest brigades to discourage the activities of illegal chainsaw operators in parts of the eastern region and also discouraging illegal mining activities in his jurisdiction among others. Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II also in the heat of the 2008 general elections did not only come out publicly to debunk allegations of cold blood between Asantes and Akyems which were been speculated by some political activists to score cheap political points by even stating categorically that the current Asantehene is married to an Akyem to drive home the point that there is no conflict between Okyenman and Asanteman but also showed his preparedness to embrace any of the aspirants contesting for the presidency who emerged successful at the end of the day despite the fact that one of the candidates was from his traditional area. Like the Asantehene he ensured an equal platform for all parties in his traditional area. Again the Okyenhene also has an educational fund to cater for the poor and needy in Okyenman.The Okyenhene lately has again demonstrated the cordial relationship between Okyenman and Asanteman by sending a delegation of chiefs to congratulate the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II  on the occasion of his 10^th anniversary.

I would end this tribute by wishing these two great traditional Akan leaders of our time Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II well in the years ahead and even greater achievements.