New Ga Mantse installed

A 44-year-old entrepreneur, Dr. Kelvin Tackie Abia has been installed Ga Mantse, top officials of the Ga Traditional Council have told Joy News.

The installation was done at Ga Mashie Sunday morning. He was later outdoored at a ceremony in the palace of Ga Dzaase at Darkuman in Accra. Kingmakers conferred the stool name Tackie Teiko Tsuru II on the entrepreneur.

Outlining his vision for the Ga state, Tackie Teiko Tsuru II said education will be a priority under his leadership.

"I have an agenda for children in the Ghana state, for the youth and the elderly. If there is a child in the Ga State that is not in school, I want to know about it," Joy News' Fred Smith.

He said the youth need to be equiped with skills that provide a decent employment. For the elderly, the new king says the Ga State will be committed to help provide healthcare for the aged.

Fred Smith reports that the ceremony was peaceful. There was no visible presence of security officials.

Accra kingmakers had vowed to install a new Ga Mantse by August, a time when the Ga state celebrates its festival, Homowo.

Accra has been without a substantive King since the death of Ga Mantse Nii Amugi 10 years ago.

The installation of King Tackie Tawiah III (formerly known as Dr. Joe Blankson) as his successor was heavily disputed until his passing in London in June of 2013.

“At long last with God’s grace me and my paramount stool we have been able to install a Ga Mantse”, the Ga Dzaasetse Nii Tetteh Kwei II told Joy News’ Fred Smith.

In excitement, he expressed his confidence that the installation has brought to an end, years of agitation among factions claiming the stool.

He stressed that the vision of the Ga State under the new King will be to focus on education particularly for the girl child.

According Nii Tetteh Kwei II the Ga State has begun the process to have the new King gazzeted.