Ga chieftaincy feud shameful – Ashitey

Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ishmael Ashitey, has said the chieftaincy disputes that have plagued the Ga State is embarrassing to all indigenes of the region.

According to him, he feels ashamed whenever other persons from different parts of the country complain bitterly about the persistent chieftaincy conflicts in the Ga State. To that end, he said there must be an end to the issues.

Mr Ashitey’s comments come on the heels of allegations against him to the effect that, he is fuelling the conflicts in the Ga State by leading the installation of another chief while there is another chief in place.

The Ga Dzaase Tse Nii Yartey Otoga II, blamed him and former Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) boss, Stanley Adjiri Blankson, of orchestrating the installation of Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II as Ga Mantse last weekend, even though Nii Adama Latse has been gazetted as chief; a situation the Dzaase Tse believes has created tension in the Ga State.

Since the death of Ga Mantse Boni Nii Amugi II in December 2004, there has been a lingering dispute over who must succeed him, with several people laying claim to the stool.

Two chiefs, Nii Adama Latse II and Nii Teiku Tsuru II, have all been installed as the Ga chief, leading to the deepening of the confusion in the Ga State.

Addressing the press on Friday, October 27, Nii Yartey Otoga II said: “Unknown to us, the Regional Security Council was working in close collaboration with Kelvin Tackie (Nii Teiko Tsuru II) who now says he is the Ga Mantse.

“For your information, Kelvin Tackie was one of those who was selected to come for vetting, he came and sat before me and we didn’t choose him.

“…Again, unknown to us, Kelvin Tackie has a close relation with officialdom and with Ishmael Ashitey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and Adjiri Blakson.”

But reacting to these allegations, Mr Ashitey denied involvement in the chieftaincy matters in the Ga State.

He told Valentina Ofori Afriyie on the 505 programme on Class 91.3FM on Friday, October 27 that: “They have got a problem that they are trying to resolve about the chieftaincy dispute, so they have been coming to me in groups and I have been trying as much as possible to make them understand that whenever we go to regional security meeting, I usually feel ashamed to sit down for other people from other areas to talk about Gas as if we are not human beings.

“It is because of the way the leadership of the Ga Traditional Council is behaving. I am ashamed of what is happening in Accra.

“I don’t know why that man will be accusing me of being the brain behind somebody being installed a chief. I am a Ga, but I don’t come from Ga Mashie. I don’t know the way and processes that they go through to select the chief, so it is impossible for me to select a chief.”