Smoke ‘Mahama Chief’ out of rat hole, make him speak – Kweku Baako to media

• Posted on December 14, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper has charged the media to compel a Ga chief who promised to abdicate his stool if Nana Akufo-Addo won the presidential elections to speak.

According to Kweku Baako, the chief, Nii Ayi Bonte II, who like others, blatantly went against the constitutional provision which forbids them from being partisan should not be left off the hook.

The veteran journalist believes the Ga Chief should be made to say how he feels about Nana Akufo-Addo’s win and if indeed he will abdicate his stool as he pledged before the December polls.

Speaking on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, Mr Baako said “they called him and he said “I’m not granting interviews”…do you see the point we were making that it was unwise for chiefs to put themselves in politics? Some of them went to the extreme.

“Today he has been disgraced, and he is hiding in a hole, they should drag him out of the hole, put a microphone right in front of him and let him speak for us to hear,” the incensed Baako said.

The campaign period towards the 2016 general elections was a charged one. Aside the spurious allegations made by the candidates against each other, there were endorsements from celebrities and chiefs, among others.

Nii Ayi Bonte declaring his support for President Mahama

One chief who pledged his unflinching support to President John Mahama was Nii Ayi Bonte II. During a gathering, largely attended by supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the chief swore to abdicate his stool if Nana Akufo-Addo was voted president.

The Gbese Mantse said President Mahama and the NDC government had done more than enough in terms of projects, hence, was sure they would win the elections and decided to put his stool on the line.

Interestingly, the man has since gone silent after Akufo-Addo was declared winner of the election. He was spotted in Dodowa on Tuesday when president-elect Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on members of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and attempts to get him to speak on president-elect’s win proved futile.

Nii Ayi Bonte (arrowed) trying to hide from cameras in Dodowa

He told journalists he was not granting interviews at the moment. But Kweku Baako finds this laughable.

The veteran journalist has been criticized and chastised for saying earlier this year that chiefs who endorsed political parties were unwise.

Akufo-Addo’s victory has somehow vindicated him. He queried why any serious chief, who understood his role as a traditional leader would make unpardonable endorsements like the one the Gbese Manste did.

“Why would you make such a pledge, this is a total lack of wisdom and wisdom is a key attribute of a chief, it is a requirement, but when we speak they don’t listen.

“Now all the other chiefs will see the wisdom in the point we were making, that you should not engage in politics,” he added.

For him, it “did not make sense” for chiefs to assume that they could control their subjects simply because of what their role.

“Now they have been disgraced and this should tell people the wisdom in the constitutional provision that chiefs should not play active role in politics,” he said.

-Adomonline