Ghana is not a monarchy – MP tackles Kumasi Traditional Council

Tamale Central MP Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed has berated the Kumasi Traditional Council for ordering the Kumasi-based station, Oyerepa FM, to shut down.

In a TV3 interview monitored by GhanaWeb, the Member of Parliament (MP) said that the action of the council was too excessive.

He added that Ghana is not a Chieftaincy and the traditional authority should have recourse to the democratic institution if they felt they had been wronged.

“I will condemn a statement made against any Chiefdom, or any traditional authority. It is unacceptable and we have seen such reckless statements made on radio by either journalists or participants on radio stations that landed countries into chaos and anarchy. Rwanda is a classic example.

“But I am saying that when they (Oyerepa) apologized. My understanding of traditional setting is that when a subject apologizes, the apology must be accepted. If there are some consequences as a result of that apology, you can ensure that the consequences come in.

“It (the actions of the chief) was an act against free speech… Ghana is not a monarchy, Ghana is a democracy and the democracy works in tandem with the traditional authority. And if anybody does anything that is adherent to the principles and the ethics of our tradition, we should involve the democratic institutions,” he said.

He also bemoaned the treatment of Odike, saying that, he (Odike) did not make any comment that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, himself has not made with regards to the galamsey menace.

“The Asantehene has been very forthright, he has been very firm on the matter of ‘galamsey’. And I have seen a video where he, himself, thinks that some traditional authorities are participants in this galamsey. He made that statement in the presence of his Chiefs and warned that if any chief is caught engaging in galamsey there will be some consequence,” he added.

In an interview on Oyerepa Radio, Akawsi Addai Odike rebuked the chiefs for failing to help end the ‘galamsey’ menace.

He went ahead to urge the youth to rise and demonstrate against the chiefs if the traditional rulers fail to come clean on their roles in or stance against illegal mining.

Earlier, the Kumasi Traditional Council performed rituals to banish Akwasi Addai, who is popularly known as Odike, for accusing Ashanti chiefs of condoning illegal mining.

According to the Kumasi Traditional Council, the businessman turned politician made inciteful statements that the Council deemed to be distasteful, unsubstantiated, and meant to dent the image of Manhyia.

The chiefs slaughtered a ram as part of the rituals to banish him.

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Meanwhile, Oyerepa FM, which was ordered to shut down for allowing Odike to use their platform to berate the chief, has resumed operation.