The Ga Traditional Council (GTC) has called on the media to desist from further writing or commenting on the burial of the Ga Mantse, Nii Amugi II, and the installation of his successor.

Nii Tettey Kpobi Tsuru II, La Mantse made the appeal on behalf of the GTC at a meeting with a section of the press at the Ga Mantse’s Palace in Accra.

Nii Kpobi Tsuru, who was the spokesman for the Council at the meeting, said “the GTC has been following happenings in the media over the alleged installation of a new Ga Mantse and his refusal or acceptance by another group and would wish to appeal to the media to desist from carrying such stories”.

The journalists had gone to the palace following reports that the elders of Nii Teiko Tsuru We would present to the Council, Dr Joe Blankson whose purported installation last week as Ga Mantse, has sparked controversy in the Ga State.

The reporters waited for over two hours without any representative of the Nii Teiko Tsuru family showing up, and members of the traditional council present, surprised at the new development, therefore seized the opportunity to address them.

La Mantse said that things had not been well for the Ga State in the last few weeks and would want the media to be circumspect about the way they report on its affairs.

“We must have respect for authority and each other, to ensure that we live in harmony as one people. The battling of issues in the media does us no good but rather further heightens tension in the country,” he said.

He said the Council had been monitoring developments over the weeks and would soon come out with its official position on the burial and installation of a Ga Mantse to set things right.

“Until we invite the media to officially announce our position, we plead with you to desist from writing or commenting on the issue,” he advised.

Nii Kojo Ababio, James Town Mantse, expressed surprise at the gathering of the newsmen, saying that “as far as we are concerned we have not been informed of any such ceremony,” explaining that they were present at the palace for their regular meeting.

He said that as far as the Council was concerned, “we cannot state whether a new Ga Mantse has been installed or not, “but assured that the Council would soon come out officially to state its position.

A source close to the Akropong We, said the ceremony was called off, but he could not assign reasons.

When the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs on the impasse over the purported installation of a New Ga Mantse was contacted, the secretary, M. L. K. Animley, said that they had been following the recent happenings but stated that they have no mandate to intervene.

He said the Regional House of Chiefs would only come in “when the proper installation has been done and a document submitted to it for vetting and acceptance.”

Mr Animley said that “it is only the Ga Traditional Council that has the mandate to ensure that the right things are done before presenting the new Ga Mantse to the Regional House of Chiefs.”