Asere Division Smokes Peace Pipe

…After Court Rules In Asere Mantse & Dzaasetse Matter

The Asere Division of Ga Mashie in the Greater Accra Region has indicated that notwithstanding the controversies surrounding the installation of an Asere Mantse, they remain one and for that matter would all come together to celebrate the coming Homowo festival.

According to the Asere division, the controversies do not make them enemies but that it is rather bringing them together as one people who have to work in the interest of the clan.

At a press conference addressed by Nii Kwartei Kodzo II, Ga State Akwaashon Mantse, he averred that Asere is one of the current six divisions of Ga Mashie and that upon the relocation of the Ga people from Ayawaso to their present location after the Ga-Akwamu war in the 17th century, part of the group came down from Ayawaso split from the main Ga group to settle at Abola.

According to him, during the consultation at Eskimo groove for a king to lead the Ga people into the Katamanso war, Asere was asked not to lead the war but rather, hold the office of the “father to the Ga Mantse” which, “forefathers grudgingly accepted and that is how the Ga setting, relative to Asere has since been.”

Nii Kwartei Kodzo II explained that the installation of an Asere Mantse experienced some challenges when Nii Amarksi III was in acting capacity.

He said the challenge persisted when the Asere Mantse, Nii Asere Nii VII was enstooled and, the Dzaasetse, Nii Armakai III who was holding the fort as Mantse formerly introduced the Mantse to the people and elders of Asere.

“The Dzaasetse was not comfortable to his proper role and functions subordinate to the Mantse. Then the chiefs and elders of the Asere Stool seeing this as an unhealthy development tried to draw his attention to the customary usage of the two positions,” he said.

He also explained that the Dzaasetse Nii Armakai III, not enthused when his insubordination was checked, joined forces with some of his illegal council members, took some chiefs and elders to court with the intention of having them jailed.

According to him, should he (Nii Armakai) and his colleagues succeed, the appropriate chiefs and elders who are supposed to form the Asere Council of the Asere Divisional Area, would have been jailed and this, he said, would pave the way for him to continue with his illegal activities.

Talking about the decision of the Court, Nii Kwartei Kodzo II said the court in its infinite wisdom acquitted the Defendants of all the charges because it realized that committing the principal elders and chiefs to jail would have amounted to a travesty of justice.

According to him, now that the issue has been settled by the court, it behoves on all Asere people to come together and forge ahead in unity.

He said the peace and unity of Asere cannot be compromised anymore and therefore called on all to find solutions to the myriad of problems confronting the dynasty.