The group at the press conference
A group calling itself Concerned Elders and Traditional Office Holders of Abese Divisional Area of La in Accra, has called for the immediate admission of the La Abese Mantse, Nii Okropong I, into the La Traditional Council in order to sustain the peace in the area.
The group accused the La Mantse, Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III, of hindering their efforts to have Nii Okropong I, their elected representative, admitted into the Council after La had become paramountcy.
Members of the group indicated that five out of the seven recognized divisions that must constitute the La paramountcy had not been admitted to the Council.
“We don’t know why the La Mantse to date has not allowed Nii Okropong I to take his seat at the La Traditional Council,” Nii Anyetei Anokware Nsro I, Dzasetse of La Gbese, said.
“We are therefore urging the La Mantse to rethink his position and usher him into the Council or we can’t guarantee the fragile peace La has enjoyed at our expense,” he added.
He said the divisional area could not mark the Homowo peacefully until the entire membership of the La Traditional Council had been reconstituted.
“Nii Kwade Okropong I must be accorded the honour and respect deserving of his office as Abese Adonten Chief and the only representative of Abese Adonten Division,” he charged.
Background
Nii Anyetei Anokware Nsro I said with the elevation of La into a paramountcy, the various Quarter Heads known as Akutseiatsemei, are automatically elevated to Divisional Chiefs/Mantsemei to form the La Traditional Council.
He said it was mandatory for the Traditional Council members to be registered at the National House of Chiefs as prescribed by the Chieftaincy Act 2008.
“Our stance is reinforced by a letter written by the La Traditional Council/Stool Secretary, J.T. Aryeh, on November 13, 2013, copied to all La Akutsei as directed by the paramountcy,” he said.
The Dzasetse of La Gbese noted that after the La Traditional Council/Stool Secretary wrote to instruct them to elect the Quarter or traditional office holders, the La Mantse caused a disclaimer to be issued to dissociate the La Traditional Council from the enstoolment or installation of the divisional heads.
“Incidentally, it was the paramount chief who instructed the stool secretary to write based upon which the divisional heads were dully nominated and elected,” he noted.
The group called for unity in the divisional areas to be superintended by the La Mantse to ensure peace and development in the area.
“The paramount chief must galvanize us into action to change and effect the desired development in La,” the group posited.