Ghana has no king; all traditional rulers are chiefs – NDC MP

Until Ghanaians learn and accept to live above tribal sentiments and bigotry; ignorance and sorry to say, sheer stupidity, the development and co-existence unity that we aspire to attain as a multi-faceted tribal country will be a mirage.

Ghana is a republic but not a Constitutional monarchy. Ghana is governed by a Republican Constitution with limited powers assigned to the traditional leaders called chiefs. However, some of the chiefs, especially the purported Asante Overlord, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, still sees himself as a king with unlimited powers to do as he wants when he wants without any institution, person or government able to call him to attention.

A Member of Parliament for Bongo Constituency in the Upper East Region, Edward Abambire Bawa, has expressed a view based solely on the clauses and articles entrenched in the 1992 Republican Constitution that there is no king in Ghana but chiefs. As many Ghanaians feel nauseous on the sight of truth, almost all those passing comments on his published view were lambasting him, treating him as though he is the scariest and ugliest alien in Ghana who does not know anything about Ghana and her laws. This is funny though.

All those who disagree with him had better go and cross-check his assertions or facts from the Constitution rather than to depict their ignorance and total illiteracy of the very Constitution upon which Ghana is governed. Edward Abambire Bawa (Hon) went on further to state that there is no kingdom in Ghana but chiefdoms. On this claim, the commenting ignoramuses attacked and insulted his personality.

I am not in the mood to write any lengthy educating article, however, I shall define kingdom and chiefdom and then ask Ghanaians to be judges of themselves to tell if the MP is right with his claim or not.

A kingdom is “a state or government having a king or queen as its head”. Has Ghana a king or a queen as its head? A chiefdom is, “the territory or people over which a chief rules”. And who is a chief? A chief is “the head or ruler of a tribe or clan”.

The above dictionary definitions are self-explanatory and they are more than enough to exonerate the MP from blame but huge to portray the ignorance and blind tribal inclinations by many a Ghanaian. Is it not more of, or practically, chiefdoms, that prevail in Ghana than kingdoms?

Check the underlying web link to see exactly what the MP said of which he is being condemned to the gallows by some semi or educated-illiterates.

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ghana-has-no-king-all-traditional-rulers-are-chiefs-NDC-MP-679210

In a speech delivered by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II during his historic visit to Kyebi in Akyem Abuakwa on Thursday, 23 August 2018, he said it would be better for the formulators of the Ghana Constitution to have a look at it and make amendments to give the chiefs more roles to play in the governing of Ghana. He asserted that they had better do away with the colonial masters’ policy of democracy around which the Constitution was made and revolves. He said when you come to his Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, true democracy is practised. He says people are given the chance to state their cases or grievances and are allowed to call in witnesses during arbitration of cases brought before the palace hence in his view, the Constitution hinged on the Whiteman’s democracy must be looked at and modified to give prominence to chiefs in governing Ghana.

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II must be kidding. Does he practise true democracy at his Kumasi Manhyia Palace? Let me cite the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute to refute his spurious assertion. The elders of Kumawu went to his palace on 24 February 2014 for the settlement of the invocation of “Asantehene Great Oath” by some Kumawu people but as a crafty crook as he is, he turned it into imposing one Dr Yaw Sarfo on the Kumawu elders as the Kumawu chief-elect contrary to the conventions of Kumawu and Asanteman. He did this in collusion with Kumawuhemaa and the Asanteman chiefs.



Is this what he calls the true democracy practised at Manhyia Palace hence calling on those who wrote the Ghana Constitution to have a second look at it to give the chiefs prominent roles to play? He is not a serious guy! If he had done things correctly, will he be going round to some judges, the Attorney General and some politicians with an alleged video on the Kumawu elders to justify the illegalities pertaining to the imposition of Dr Yaw Sarfo on Kumawu as their paramount chief (Omanhene)?



Watch these video links if indeed democracy is practised at Manhyia Palace? Does he understand the term DURESS when applied in situations to compel people or supposed offenders to accept the committal of offence they might not have actually committed? Duress means, “compulsion by threat or force; coercion”. Is it not exactly what he did to the Kumawu elders whereas he has not even an iota of authority over Kumawu chieftaincy affairs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac8wZIPlVu8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyOnlURv7Ys

I shall be taking him on in the coming days regardless of him allegedly contacting the Attorney General Ms. Gloria Akufo, some judges and some NPP politicians to side with him on the stupid way he claims to have settled the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute.



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