“Manhyia is beyond the powers of the Constitution” – says Lawyer

“Manhyia is beyond the powers of the Constitution” – says Lawyer

A Private Legal Practitioner who hails from the Volta Region, Togbe Kofi Kaka Esq. has listed seven (7) strong reasons why he is convinced Asantehene Osei Tutu II is more powerful than the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

The lawyer was contributing to current discussions regarding the closure of Oyerepa Radio by the Kumasi Traditional Council.

The radio was ordered closed after the funder and Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike used their platform to allege that Ashanti Region Chiefs were, directly and indirectly, involved in galamsey which was polluting Ashanti river bodies.

In the opinion of the lawyer, people can only make noise about Otumfuo and the Kumasi Traditional Council’s decision to close Oyerepa Radio but will not go anywhere because of the power of Otumfuo.

Read his full reasons below:

MANHYIA IS BEYOND THE POWERS OF THE CONSTITUTION.

Show me a law or power higher in practice than the power of Otumfour and Manhyia and I will tell you …you are a hypocrite. Let’s Consider the following…

1. Your presidents, ministers, MPs, etc feel more obliged to attend and provide an account of works done in Ashanti to Manhyia than are ready to appear before parliament to fulfill the constitutional mandate of accountability to the people of Ghana.

2. He stated clearly some time ago that no court can ever overturn a decision he makes on a matter. No state institution or GBA even coughed about it.

3. Even Presidents go to Manhyia organized functions and wait for the arrival of Otumfour. In other traditional areas, the chiefs sit and wait for hours for the arrival of ministers or presidents.

4. People close to power will tell you that if Otumfour makes a call to “lobby” for a person to be IGP or Chief Justice, it is final.

5. A Kumasi Mayor or Ashanti regional minister knows that they were nominated/appointed by the President but their continuous stay in office is subject to being in the good books of Manhyia.

6. It has become increasingly clear that no one can become president of Ghana unless the person gets massive votes from the Ashanti region. He is the overlord of Ashanti. He also has paramount chiefs and his chiefs in at least 4 other regions of Ghana.

7. He remains the only Chief whose title is specifically mentioned and set out as “primus inter pares” in our chieftaincy Act. Asantehene is the only chief with the power to appoint paramount chiefs. He remains the only chief with traditional control over the lands of an entire Region.

So you see the real power the man wields is beyond the letters of your written constitution. Don’t come and pretend that you just realized when an “Oyerepa” has been divorced from their listeners by Manhyia. Forget your Article 11 because it fails in the face of “real power”. You can shout freedom of speech and media blablabla but that is where it will end.

Shalom!

-Mynewsgh