Before the arrival of the Europeans in the Gold Coast, there were 6 Ga States namely; Ga Mashie, Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua and Tema. All these independent Towns have their own sovereign Stools and Paramount Chiefs. These Paramount Chiefs have their own sub-Chiefs and Village Headmen.
In times of war all the Ga towns come under one leader to fight external aggression. Teshie fought in the Akwamu War, the Angula War and the Katamano War. Indeed, Katamanso was won through the bravely of Teshie Warriors. The records shows that once upon a time the entire Ga State was under the leadership of the Teshie Mantse to repel an attack on Ga Mashie by Obutu aggressors hence the Teshie accolade Gonti ni ashiii see anmoo kpo.
In 1927, the colonial administration imposed the Native Administration Ordinance, (N.A.O). in the Gold Coast. Section 95 of the N.A.O. provided for the establishment of the State Councils with the mandate to regulate the powers and jurisdiction of the native tribunals. This Law imposed the Ga Mantse as the President of the Ga State Council
The Ga State Council was given the mandate to deal with (1) the nomination, election or installation of any person as a chief (2) the deposition or abdication of any chief (3) the right of any person to take part in the election or installation of any person as a chief or in the deposition of any chief and (4) the power and authority for the recovery or delivery of stool property. The Ga State Council was abolished in 1961 by the President of Ghana.
The Chieftaincy Act, 1961 (Act 81) established the National House of Chiefs (NHCs), Regional Houses of Chiefs (RHCs) and Traditional Councils (TCs) to take over the functions of the defunct Ga State Council. The Chieftaincy Institution became one of the Entrenched Institutions under Chapter 270 of the 1992 Constitution.
The Constitution of the Ghana states in unequivocal terms that no power or authority under this Constitution can override or detract the functions of any of the entrenched units of Chieftaincy Institution.
In May 2011, the sub-Committee of the National House of Chiefs stated that there are 7 Divisions under the Ga Mashie Stool, namely, Abola, Asere, Gbese, Otu Blohum, Sempe, Akumadze and James Town.
The Sub-Committee also affirmed that the Teshie Stool, the Osu Stool, the La Stool, the Nungua Stool and the Tema Stool hold no allegiance to the Ga Paramount Stool.
The Ga Paramount Stool never challenged this verdict at the National House of Chiefs or the Supreme Court of Ghana as prescribed by Law.
Therefore, what the proponents of purported Ga State Council are trying to do clear 11 years after being caught in the web of “estoppel per rem judicata” is to use patapaa to undermine the authority of the 1992 Constitution and the Chieftaincy Act 2008 [Act 579] instead of going to National House or the Supreme Court of Ghana to challenge the May 2011 verdict.
Regrettably, the proponents of the Ga State Council regime deliberately failed to consult any of the supposed vassals of the Ga Paramount Stool on the mechanics of the purported confederacy as well as the rights and obligations of members.
On Thursday 13th October, 2022 while the Teshie Mantse was celebration the annual Yam Rites for the Teshie Stool, messengers from Ga Mashie Stool brought an invite to the Teshie Mantse to attend the Annual Yam Rites for the Ga Paramount Stool. This was a very unusual and has never happened before so the Teshie Mantse declined the invitation.
Later, the Teshie Mantse Palace saw an announcement on social media relative to the formation of a Ga State Council with the Teshie Mantse being announced as a vassal to the Ga Paramount Stool.
The Teshie Paramount Stool considers this conduct of the Ga Paramount Stool as an insult and a slap in the face of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the Chieftaincy Act 2008 [Act 579).
The Teshie Mantse wishes to inform all Ghanaians that as a fully-fledged Paramount Chief, he is not ready to pull down his cloth from over his shoulder to the chest and stand on his sandals in public to pay obeisance to the Ga Mantse who is his co-equal Paramount Chief.
The Teshie Mantse hereby gives the assurance that he has full confidence in the 1992 Constitution and the Chieftaincy Act 2008 [Act 579] and related statutory structures as his point of reference and will not subscribe to any parallel institution that has no formal or written operational structures and parameters for transparency and accountability. Dated at the Teshie Mantse Palace this 1st Day of November, 2022
