[ 2017-04-03 ]

Naba Musah Akanbonga II [speaking]

Kumasi Zongo Chief reveals he bears NPP membership card
The chairman of Council of Zongo Chiefs in Kumasi
says he is not bothered to be a registered member
of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Naba Musah Akanbonga II, who also doubles as
Frafra chief in Kumasi, says there is no law
barring community leaders from taking part in
partisan politics.

He stirred a controversy by revealing in what was
supposed to be a welcome address during President
Nana Akufo-Addo’s visit to the Central Mosque
that he is a registered member of the governing
party.

That revelation which was met with a roaring
applause from residents is contrary to provisions
in 1992 Constitution barring chiefs from active
partisan politics.

But he has been defending his stance later in an
interview.

“I sleep with the Constitution, the Criminal
Code, the Court Procedure, the Chieftaincy Act --
they are by my bedside. I have researched; I have
gone through. There's no law saying that heads of
communities should not do politics,” he said.

Article 276 of the 1992 Constitution states: “A
chief shall not take part in active party
politics, and any chief wishing to do so and
seeking election to Parliament shall abdicate his
stool or skin.

But when confronted with provisions in Article
276, Naba Akanbonga who is a retired police
officer argued no law ban community leaders who he
says are in the class of sub-chiefs or
‘adikro’.

"The traditional leaders, they are doing politics
but have you seen anyone being bold to send any
chief to court as a trial case? Have you seen
that? You do that and you become a hero. Take one
chief like those who gave percentages- 80% to that
man, 80 % to this man.

“If you look at the Chieftaincy Act, the
definition of a chief is somebody who has been
appointed and placed on a stool with ba stool
name. Now in Akan, we have the sub-chiefs-the
Odikros. That law doesn't ban 'Adikro'. So
sub-chiefs are in the class of 'Dikros'. Me if you
take me to court, I will argue and go free without
taken a lawyer,” he argued.

He and other Muslim clerics with the support of
Zongo chiefs formed an association ahead of the
2016 elections to campaign for the New Patriotic
Party and offered prayers for then candidate
Akufo-Addo.

Naba Akanbonga says the group which now has
majority of Zongo chiefs will soon roll out a
campaign to organize more clerics and chiefs to
register for the New Patriotic Party.

“What we are going to do next is that, God
willing, we shall form an association of
registered members of NPP. We would want to know
our strength before 2020 so that we can make a
projection.”

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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