NPP Endorses Ga Mantse as Overlord of the Ga State

In what appears to be a sharp contrast to the admonition given to King Tackie Tawiah III by then President John Agyekum Kufuor, to go and settle his chieftaincy matters before coming to the Castle to great him, the newly-elected leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has duly recognised the former as Ga Mantse and the overlord of the Ga State.

The decision also runs counter to the position of the Atta Mills government, which has refused to recognise the king because his name has not been gazetted.

The new leadership, led by Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, yesterday paid a courtesy call on the Ga Mantse to officially introduce themselves as leaders of the opposition party to him, and to receive his blessings.

Speaking to newsmen later, the National Chairman of the party, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, noted that the leadership of the party, from the days of the late Prof. Adu Boahene, had consistently been paying respect to the Ga state, and recognises the Ga Mantse as the legitimate king of the Ga state.

"The NPP has been paying respect to the Ga Mantse since the inception of the party in 1992, and would continue paying respect to the installed Ga Mantse of the Ga state," he added.

The National Chairman of NPP further noted that the party does not deal with factions within the Ga state, which refuse to give recognition to the Ga mantse, but recognises the enstoolment of the Ga Mantse.

"There is no law governing this country, which prevents NPP from giving recognition to the Ga Mantse. I am a Ga, and ever since I decided to go in to politics,

I have always come to the Ga Mantse for his blessings before pursuing my political ambition. I am a Ga who does not speak Ga, but before I announced my political ambition to be the flagbearer of NPP, I sought for the blessings of the Ga Mantse, and he gave me the go ahead," Jake said.

He used the occasion to further urge the Ga youth to take up leadership roles towards the development of the country, but desist from political violence.

"Gas, were the ones who led Nkrumah to the central district of Accra to win the election, and they were rewarded initially. There were two Gas in the big six, who took bigger roles. Gas were taking real leadership roles towards the freedom of the people, and also the enlightenment of their aspirations."

The Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Tawiah III, earlier lauded the decision by the new executives of NPP to recognise the Ga Mantse as the legitimate custodian of the Ga state, and urged them to work along the principle of peace with their political opponents in power, towards the development of the country.