The Ga Traditional Council has issued a statement regarding the conduct of Charles Nii Kotey Kotey, the Family Head of the late Ga Manye, Naa Dedei Omaedru III, and other members of the family.
This comes after the family, including the children of the late Ga Queen mother and the Ga Mannye Weku, had allegedly challenged the authority of the Ga Traditional Council and the Central Funeral Committee and subsequently withdrew their representation.
They then proceeded to go to court on the basis that the Ga Traditional Council had reportedly hijacked the funeral planning and secured an interim injunction order.
This together with other things, the Council said rather than support the Ga Traditional Council in the organization of a befitting funeral, the family showed disrespect and disregard, causing grave embarrassment to the Council and disaffection towards it. The conduct of the family was deemed to be in violation of Section 63(c) of the Chieftaincy Act 2008, which considers using disrespectful or insulting language towards a chief as an offense.
The Ga Traditional Council has therefore taken the following actions in response to the family’s conduct:
a) Nii Kotey Ga will no longer be recognized as Asafoiatse of Asere Djorshie.
b) The Head of Family, Charles Nii Kotey Kotey, and the immediate family, including the children of the late Queenmother, are prohibited from attempting to perform any other funeral with respect to the passing of the late Ga Manye.
c) No candidate for the position of Ga Queenmother can be chosen for enstoolment without the knowledge and consent of the Ga Traditional Council.
The Ga Traditional Council directs that until further notice, no attempt should be made to provide a candidate for enstoolment as Ga Manye or for the enstoolment of any person as Ga Manye from the family where the late Queenmother Naa Dedei Omaedru III hailed from, failing which any such conduct will be met with dire consequences.
The statement was signed by the President of the Ga Traditional Council, HRM King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.
By Vincent Kubi