[ 2015-03-27 ]

Ga fetish priests don’t like to deal with non-Ga MPs – NPP Chairman
Greater Accra New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman
Ishmael Ashittey is justifying a controversial
decision announced by the party to allow only Gas
to contest in the region, saying it is important
in fostering good relationships with fetish
priests.

“You see we have some customs and values…..you
have to be dealing with the chief, the high
priest….they will not like to deal with somebody
who does not understand their traditions and
customs,” Ishmael Ashittey told Joy News
Friday.

The NPP had planned to reserve seats to the
following coastal constituencies in the Greater
Accra Region to be contested by Ga indigenes
except in exceptional circumstances:

They are Ngleshie Amanfrom, Ablekuma South,
Odododiodio, Korle Klottey, La Dade Kotopon,
Ledzokuku, Krowor Tema East, Tema West, Kpone
Katamanso, Amasaman, Obom and Domeabra.

The NPP Chairman says for the party to reserve
these areas out of 34 constituencies shows the
party was demonstrating that in typical
traditional areas culture becomes important.

“You see people are talking about all people
stay in Accra. We know that, that is why we are
not putting up the whole 34 constituencies. We are
picking”, he stressed.

He wondered why in Northern, Upper East, Upper
West, Volta, and in most part of the Ashanti
regions “almost the people who are contesting
the parliamentary seats” are indigenes.

“It is only in Greater Accra that now we have 14
MPs, only five (5) of them are Gas…. It will not
matter to you but the traditionalists, it matters
to them”.

Sharing his personal experience, he said while an
MP in Tema East he was dealing with the female
high priests who would not have been comfortable
working with a non-indigene.

“They cannot deal with the other people. They
find it difficult”, his defence continued.

But spokesperson of the party’s polling station
executives, Charles MaCcarthy strongly opposes
this move.

He said his party chairman’s position were not
scientifically informed by the 2012 election
results.

Providing instances to back his opposition, he
argued that although about 12 parliamentary
aspirants were Gas, “only 2 were able to win and
even there the margins were nothing to write home
about”.

He picked the 2012 parliamentary results in
Ablekuma South where NPP candidate and an indigene
Joseph Narh was defeated by Fredrick Fritz Baffour
who won by 56% against Narh’s 39.7%.

According to Charles MacCarthy, the party chairman
is taking a position to defend his favourites.

“Perhaps I don’t want to say he spoke out of
emotion. But one can say that they did not conduct
any research. They just spoke to defend their
friends and families”.

Source - Joy News

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