Presidency will not recognise Ga mantse until....

President John Mills The Member of Parliament for Odododiodio constituency in Accra says the presidency cannot recognize the Ga Mantse until his position has been gazetted. According to Nii Tackie Commey, the raging battle over the real custodian of the Ga stool makes it impossible for the presidency to invite members of the Ga-traditional council for official state functions. Ga Mantse Nii Tackie Tawiah accused the president of listening to advice from “standard seven” school leavers making him impervious to the real status of the Ga State. He also accused the presidency of sidelining him in all official ceremonies, warning “they (Ga chiefs) would not sit down like fools for others to be invited for state functions held in the Ga state.' However in an interview with Citi News, the MP quoted the chieftaincy act 759 section 67(5) which stated clearly that unless a person has been registered and gazzetted, he cannot be recognized as a chief. He said until the Ga mantse’s position is formally recognized, the presidency would have nothing to do with him. “I am saying where you have two people claiming ownership of one property, or one stool, do you think it will be appropriate if you were in that shoe to invite any of them. Which of them are you to invite,” he quizzed. But the Public Relations Officer of the Ga Mantse said that position is flawed. Even though he admitted that the Ga Mantse position has not been gazzetted he explained that a court ruling on 18th July, 2008 clearly ruled that Nii Tackie Tawiah is the Ga Mantse and has the right to perform customary rites on behalf of the Ga State. He said the impression of an impasse surrounding the Ga chieftaincy does not mean that Nii Tackie Tawiah cannot hold himself out as Ga Mantse. He said the very notion that the Ga chief was installed during the administration of the erstwhile NPP government is not enough basis to say that the Ga Mantse was installed by the previous government. Otherwise any chief installed anywhere in the country under the reign of the NDC can equally be said to be politically manipulated, he argued. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana