Nii Adama Latse II
The National House Of Chiefs has endorsed Nii Adama Latse II as the Ga Mantse of the Ga State. The recognition has put paid to the long-standing wrangling in the traditional circles of Ga Mashie.
If this is a closure to the convoluted issue which has threatened the peace of the Ga state, especially when time for important rituals are due, then we shall be justified to clap for the National House of Chiefs. It was as though nobody had the authority to order a cessation to the silent hostilities as various individuals pretended to be chiefs and are the waters sometimes beyond comprehension.
When earlier someone else was presented to the country as the substantive Ga Mantse, we expressed delight that an end had come for the imbroglio. We were wrong as the endorsement of the National House Of Chiefs of Nii Adama Latse II has suggested. With such an endorsement by the constitutionally recognized House of Chiefs, there is no longer disputing the authenticity of the position of the man being referred to as the Ga Mantse, Nii Adama Latse II.
We are, by this development, calling on all who are related to the Ga royalty and citizens of the traditional area to bury the hatchet and allow peace to prevail. Litigation must end at a certain point; there being no point in continuing it indefinitely.
The interest of the Ga tradition as represented by the Ga Mantse is paramount and should therefore be protected against the parochial interests of certain individuals who could not care a hoot about it.
We look up to the revered National House Of Chiefs and the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs to work in tandem to bring a closure to the challenges which have militated against the cohesion of the Ga State.
Nii Adama Latse II too should be magnanimous by stretching a hand of friendship to those who contested his position and to work towards healing the wounds inflicted upon the Ga traditional system.
Being the nation’s capital, the traditional authorities in Accra should be in a shape that enables it to showcase the Ga culture to foreign visitors. It is not surprising therefore that when important dignitaries arrive in the country, they are, in most cases, whisked away to other parts of the country where the traditional settings are stable and devoid of avoidable wrangling.
It is regrettable that the wrangling about chieftaincy is not restricted to the Ga state but extended to other parts of Accra – some of them discredited with two or persons laying claim to the authority of chief. How can the traditional authorities command respect under situations where there are multiple chiefs?
We must address issues which erode the authorities of our chieftaincy institutions because, among others, they are the custodians of our heritage.
We call on both the National House of Chiefs and the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs to give impetus to their endorsement.
The law enforcement authorities too should ensure that nobody breaches public order and peace. Attempts at such breaches should be expected though but when they occur the infractions should be swiftly dealt with.