The last few days marked a sad period in the history of indigenous Ga opinion leaders and politicians.
First, it was a political skirmish between supporters of two opposing parliamentary candidates belonging to the same clan of one of the members of the Big Six, Obetsebi Lamptey, father of the late accomplished marketing magnate and politician Jake Obetsebi Lamptey. One is Nii Lante Bannerman and the other is Nii Lante Vanderpuye
What were intended as peaceful health walks in an indigenous community turned out to be violent conflict that drew blood in an environment in which traditional rulers themselves are fighting, instead of uniting to take advantage of the properties of colonial businesses to improve conditions in Odododiodioo.
Contagion
Well, the elders have sneezed and the younger generation has caught the flu. Since 2004, the indigenous landscape has known little peace as local chieftains flex muscles and use dirty tactics to win the prized constituency seat. In the dog-eat-dog environment, the MP aspirants from one clan have been caught in the crossfire.
Since 2004, the files of lingering cases of violent assaults in the constituency appear, in the eyes of the ordinary people and the media, to have been shelved. At least, no one has been jailed – by the records.
Katamanso
Katamanso is a whole heritage and saga in the history of Ga-Dangme people in the days when wars were glorified.
But Katamanso also became a touchstone of the June 4 revolution that birthed the PDCs and CDRs as grassroots structures underpinning the monolith Provisional National Defence Council and, later, cadres of the National Democratic Congress.
Katamanso therefore used to be an indigenous Ga community whose late chief was diplomatic enough to be friends with Rawlings in the late 70s, without rocking the boat of state till he died. And it was a virtuous and politically savvy act on the part of outgoing MP Nii Afotey Agbo to have elected to occupy his late father’s stool, particularly at a time when the indigenous population had embraced strangers as it is done in all parts of Africa.
Unfortunate
That is why the Daily Statesman believes it is unfortunate that the two indigenous Ga communities and the three politicians would drag the name of Gas into disrepute, when the rallying cry across communities today is unity and development.
The list of Gas who form an inextricable part of Ghana’s political history is a tall one: from the indigenous Big Six duo of Obetsebi Lamptey and Ako Adjei, Chief Justices and Speakers of Parliament and Head of State General JA Ankrah, we can cite Nii Amarh Ollenu, Pobee and Philip Archer, AS Quist, Peter Ala Adjetey and Aaron Mike Oquaye.
We can similarly cite Harry Sawyer, KB Asante and several others, including Ga traditional rulers, who played key roles in the political history of Ghana.
Never again
Nii Afotey Agbo of Katamanso and the two Nii Lantes from Odododiodioo have such an array of statesmen to learn from – if they intend to add value to their cultural history and that of Mother Ghana.
In the opinion of the Daily Statesman, the chaotic environment recorded during the President’s sod-cutting ceremony – with members of the diplomatic community around – and the embarrassing role Nii Afotey Agbo played, does not glorify his late father, the founder of the June 4 Movement, Jerry Rawlings, on whose wings he rose to become MP and Regional Minister, nor his royal self as an heir to a Stool as significant as Katamanso.
With members of the diplomatic community present, the embarrassment may even be more pronounced. All the same, we hope they have learnt their lessons and would prove in the coming days that they truly have.
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