A Political Scientist with the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Legon has underscored the relevance of legitimacy in governance.

Dr Aggrey Darko says the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu, had to resign because he lost the people’s confidence to govern the Kumasi metropolis.  

“Legitimacy is like a reservoir the higher the better and Kojo Bonsu’s legitimacy was dwindling,” he explained to Nana Ansah Kwao IV, host of MultiTV's news analysis programme, PM Express.

The KMA boss resigned on Tuesday following a bitter relationship with the Kumasi Tradition Council over a letter he wrote to the Local Government Minister.

In the said letter, Mr Bonsu was questioning the locus of Chief of Amoaman, Nana Agyenim Boateng, to set up a committee to supervise the construction of the Kejetia Market Project, a project the KMA was supervising.

Though not largely blamed for the worsening relationship between the Mayor and the chiefs, many governance experts have pointed to it as providing the precipice for his eventual downfall.

In a manner not recorded in the history of the country’s democracy, the chiefs issued a ten-day ultimatum to President John Mahama to change the KMA boss. This came after a ram was sacrificed at the Manhyia Palace to sever ties between the chiefs and Mr Bonsu.

Just when some political commentators had predicted the Mayor would hold the fort a little longer despite the intensifying campaign to oust him, he announced his resignation to applause and disappointment of residents of the metropolis.

This development has sparked a whole new debate in the country about the relationship between the chieftaincy institution and the modern political order.

Dr Darko argues the disrespect of the modern political order for the chieftaincy institution in the country is responsible for the impasse between the KMA boss and the KTC.

“Now within the modern Weberian order, if we are not careful there is the tendency for public officials to say because they control the resources they can ignore traditional leaders,” he said, adding, this is will not be able to sustain one’s political ambition.

Dr Eric Oduro Osai

Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Dr Eric Oduro Osai, explained chiefs are respected in the Ghanaian society to the point that anyone who tries to undo them will end up hitting a snag.

“People must understand that the chiefs provide leadership to the people and their priority is that whatever you do must inure to the benefit of the people,” he said, adding, because they are the custodian of the land, the slightest show of disrespect will be fought back.

He believes many Ghanaians do not appreciate the contribution of the institution to the development of the country because they have not study the new Decentralised System of Government.

He asserted at all levels of government the chieftaincy institution is adequately represented including the Council of State.

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