The Ga People have indigenous names for the different aspects of their leadership and structure of their society with small variations from place to place.
The elevation of Ga Chiefs to Paramount Chiefs and the creation of Divisional Chiefs has dislocated the individual Ga State’s internal structure and nomenclature.
WHAT IS IN A NAME?
Before addressing the Nomenclature dislocation let’s tackle the structure of a typical Ga State and its relationship to the Land.
GA LANDS were mostly gotten through conquest in battle.
In Nungua, those who were asked to take care of the CONQUERED LANDS or FARM LANDS were referred to as “Headmen” in many history books and colonial accounts.
CONQUERED LANDS and FARM LANDS became villages or “Akrowa” in the Ga Language, were originally populated by the family of the headsman, other settlers and farmers.
Those refered to today as the “Akrowa Mantse” are the Headmen or caretakers of old who were put on the land for the Stool through their Akutso or quarter.
Many villages have grown in population due to migration and development.
A village may grow into a Town or City but the Headman cannot become bigger than the Akutso under which they fall.
The Akutso also cannot become bigger than the Stool, likewise no Akutsotse or quarterhead can become bigger than the Mantse or Chief.
Ga People had essentially only ONE CHIEF per State or Stool.
Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua, Tema, Prampram and Ga Mashie had their individual Chiefs or Mantse overseeing their separate States or Stools or Traditional Areas.
The Nungua were first Ga People on the Land.
The Ga Mashie came and took part of the Lands to the West of Nungua.
Shortly after, La came and took the large chunk of Land between the Nungua and Ga Mashie through war and conquest with the Victoriaborg Press [Accra the High Court] being the boundary between the two Ga States.
Land matters are very emotive because they were acquired through Wars and Blood shed by ancestors of the Land Owners.
Not all lands were won through battles but by agreement or ceding.
Osu was created as a buffer between the feuding La State and Ga Mashie to end the incessant wars and battles that impeded the trade of the Europeans in the Forts and Castles towards the Ga Mashie part of Accra.
Teshie essentially is La; Teshie People are La People.
La expelled one of its own by banishment to the outskirts behind the Rocks or “Teshishi” which eventually evolved in to Teshie.
The Ga People practiced a system of assimilation.
The Ga People and La for that matter prefered to assimilate those they conquered in battles or war; gaving all those who surrendered to them roles to play in the community rather than killing them.
There are many such examples…
The Traditional role of the Ga Chiefs have metamorphosed over time from a purely Spiritual Leader or “Wulomo” to a more Contemporary Leader or Chief or “Mantse” with his spiritual role performed by another on his behalf so he xan focus on governance and war.
There is an Akwashongtse or War General, who is in charge of all the army of Asafoatsemei and Shippi both in War and Peace time on behalf of the Chief or Mantse.
THERE CAN BE NO CHIEF OR MANTSE WITHOUT A STOOL.
There cannot also be a Mantse without a State.
The elevation of Ga Chiefs to Paramount Chiefs and the creation of Divisional Chiefs has dislocated the individual Ga States in terms of structure, form and substance.
Creation of the Divisional Chief status for an Akutsotse without careful thought would on the surface seem simple but in reality was a complex exercise.
A Chief [any Chief including a Divisional Chief] must not only hail from the appropriate family lineage and bloodline as stated in the Constitution.
A Divisional Chief just like the Paramount Chief will require structures created to ensure proper functioning…
Will a Divisional Chief or Akutsotse automatically require a STOOL, JAASE and Stool Elders?
What becomes of the Akutso, Clan Houses or We and Shia Onukpai as a result of the elevation.
How does the elevation impact the Akrowa and Headsman too?
The Ada People kept their indigenous names of the Asafoatse [which in the case of La is the Akutsotse] intact despite the elevation to avoid any dislocation in the structure and the nomenclature.
The maintainance if the Status quo despite the elevation ensured that; they had no need to create new subdivisions that will duplicate roles and function ultimately resulting in confusion.
LA HAS LESSONS TO LEARN.
La has the choicest and most prime land thus there are interst groups keen on destabilising La to Steal or keep stolen La Land.
These thieves thrive in confusion and therefore La must keep thing simple, transparent and insist on accountability at all times and in all things.
The revenue sharing formula must take into account other revs beyond the statutory the 25%:20% between the Stool and Traditional Council from Ground Rent to include all other revenues from ALL LA LANDS to the benefit of ALL LA AKUTSEI and their respective Clan Houses and Akrowai.
The name Mantse or Chief is inextricably linked to power, prestige and most importantly resources accruing from the Lands and Beaches of La; failure to resolve the fundamental resources allocation issue will not allow progress on anything else.
The formula must at all times recognise the Stool and the Mantse retention of significant portion for the upkeep of the Stool and customary functions of the Mantse.
The Mantse as President of the Traditional retaining another portion to facilitate the administrative functions beyond central or local government.
An Endowment fund to cater for the Health, Education and Social need of all Lamei must be established with a policy shift from Compensation payments to Equity in all businesses to which acquired lands are to be put to generate further resources.
The new La Mantse must recall all Land Transactions and Documents for scrutiny and Regularisation where necessary at a token fee paid to the La Lands Secretariat which will register all La Lands and keep documents in accordance with the New Land Law ACT 1036.
The seal of the New La Mantse giving Concurrent Approval to document from the Lands Commission will confirm the authenticity of any La Land document and end the litigation.
In the mean time, all miscreants fraudulently allocating, leasing or purporting to be regularizing La Lands on behalf of the La Stool or late La Mantse must stop or be dealt with in accordance with the law [ACT 1036] which prescribes stiff fines and long terms of imprisonment for those who indulge in fraudulent Land Transactions.
The State and all fiduciaries are expected by the Land Law [ACT 1036] to be transparent and accountable in all such transactions.
The Government must immediately make public all Documents covering all State Acquired Lands [including those due to be returned to the La Stool not through Goro-Boys] and their status for public scrutiny.
THE BEST OF LA IS YET TO COME…
By Prince-Derek Adjei