Ga Mantse invites Hollywood to produce movie about King Tackie Tawiah I

Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II has set his sights on reviving Ga culture and exposing the world to the history of his tribe.

“We want to change our narrative,” the Ga Mantse said on Asaase Radio in an interview monitored by theghanareport.com.

“…we are looking at even joining together with any of the big film companies like HBO or Paramount Pictures in the United States to produce the life of King Tackie Tawia I,” he said.

King Tackie Tawia I is credited with the consolidation of the Ga State in the 1800s.

It is believed that Gas originally migrated from Israel and traveled southwards with some settling along the River Nile.

They were united and led by their great leader King Ayi Kushi (1483-1519) during those migration periods.

They moved south of the Nile through Uganda, then along the Congo River, westward through Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo and finally to the Gold Coast, now Ghana. Greater Accra.

Who was King Tackie Tawiah I?

King Tackie Tawiah I was born in 1817 as Nii Kwashi Tawiah into the Ga royal family of Teiko Tsuru We at Kinka. In Ga language “We” means “family.”

He was born to a father who was a prosperous Trader and a mother who had great respect namely, Nii Teiko Doku and Naa Ashing Danso respectively.

He attended the Wesley Methodist school. Prior to his enstoolment, he was a very successful Marchant prince operating in several African countries.

On December, 12 1862, Nii Quarshie Tawiah ascended the Ga throne as the 20th King (Mantse) of Accra after succeeding Nii Yaote who reigned from 1859 to 1862.

Soon after his ascension, he led his people to resist the British attempt at introducing ordinance for the town, demanding taxes and land acquisition.

During the Anlo Wars (1855-1866), when the people of Accra joined forces with the Akwapim to fight the Anlo he also got involved.

He fought in the Tordzie or Adidome wars.

In 1869, he led his Ga warriors to march with the combined forces of the British, Ada, Akyem and also Akwapim against the Anlos and their Asante allies in the Vovo, Duffor and Clover Wars.

King Tackie Tawiah I was considered a great military tactician assisted by his two powerful warriors: Asafoatse Oman and Asafoatse Ayi Kodwo Mankattah.

He fought alongside the Governor of Usher, who had the Gold Coast Constabulary in the June 1869 war at Asutuare.

He was an independent thinker who stood on his grounds against threats. When the British made

presentations to him to assist them alongside King Asafu-Adjaye of Juaben to invade Asante to claim the Golden Stool he declined.

Consequently, Governor Hodgson described him as an “uncooperative King”

As a result, he was exiled to Elmina from November 1880 to 10 March 1883 due to what the British described as the King’s “persistent disobedience of the order of the British government.”

After receiving his pardon in 1883, he was taken to Ga Mashie (Accra Central) in a great procession to continue his reign and led his people in their struggles against the colonial regime.

The reign of king Tackie Tawiah I lasted for forty years. He died in 1902 and was buried in Accra. He was the second-longest King after Nii Tetteh Ahinakwa who reigned from 1740 to 1782.

King Tackie Tawiah I was first honoured in 1997 when the Kanda Flyover in Accra was named after him.

In the same year, the Ga-Dangmes instituted King Tackie Tawiah I Memorial Lectures.

He was the second Ghanaian King to be featured on a Ghana stamp after Asantehene.

 

Ga Mantse on a restoration mission

Ghana’s capital, Accra, sits on Ga land. King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II is believed to be a descendant of the man known as the consolidator of the Ga state.

Tsuru II was outdooored on May 9, 2020, after being installed in 2017.

The king expressed worry over the erosion of Ga tradition, culture and language. He observed that this erosion is not specific to Gas alone, calling it the “invasion of all the other cultures in this country.”

He said everything related to Ga “is diminishing, even Ga kenkey”.

He recounted his surprise when he saw that kenkey was not being produced using millet instead of corn.

“That is how bad it has gotten, that corn has actually lost its stature. That is how bad we have lost everything that is us (Gas).

“Our culture needs to be exhibited; our lives need to be told again; who we are, where we are from.”

To this end, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II who is also the President of the Ga Traditional Council said his office has established a film and music secretariat.

He is focused on telling the Ga story “to let the world know that we are a force to reckon with.”

The Ga Mantse also called for the intensification in the teaching of Ga in schools. The Ga language is one of 11 local languages taught in lower primary.

“Everything that is Ga, even our language is almost disappearing, that is why I want to insist that the Ga language is taught in every school and added to our national curriculum,” he said.

 

Who is the Ga Mantse and what is his vision for Ga State?

He is known in private life as Dr Kelvin Nii Tackie, an entrepreneur with businesses affiliation in Ghana and abroad.

The business consultant said Ghana is an investment destination with Accra playing a vital role in commerce.

The Ga State wants to establish a Salt Mining plant in Ada to produce salt. They are also eyeing cattle ranching to produce dairy and meat processing products in Sege.

Additionally, they plan an aquaculture business in Kokrobite.

The Ga State has also set sights on real estate ventures to build affordable houses for rent.

He hopes to unite all the paramountcies to ensure development for the indigenes.

The Ga Mantse wants to see the Ga language taught in schools to become part of the national curriculum.

His plans include a lower chieftaincy chamber for Ga queens and female priestess to have a voice.

Development of girls is also high on his agenda to “see the girl child equal enrolment to that of boys. I want to see that most Ga girl children are retained in schools with the proper and successful transition until completion”.

Entrepreneurial skills, scholarships schemes, and libraries are on his agenda.

He did not exclude sanitation as he highlighted the need for proper waste management.

“I believe Accra has a huge waste management potential”.

He wants Accra to have at least two international sister cities for knowledge and technology transfer in areas such as ICT and others.