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| Kojo Bonsu |
After Kojo Bonsu’s exit from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly seat, Facebook user Edem Feakpi wrote:
“The question is to what extent can our traditional authorities exercise their powers without interfering or dictating to the State?
In our constitutional arrangements, Chiefs are recognized and known for having lot of powers and many influences.
But those powers have a limit. The chief power can’t exceed the powers of the state and cannot override the powers of the state.
It is because of this that the decision of our chiefs are subject to the Judicial control within the perimeters of the constitution.
Ghana is run by executive system of governance where the executive powers are vested in the president by the people of Ghana.
It is this power that president appoints metropolitan Chief executive, ministers etcAnd it is wrong for any traditional ruler to try to usurp that power vested in the president by the people of Ghan
The practice of our chiefs asking the president to remove any government appointees because they don’t like the person must stop.
Our traditional authorities must not interfere in Running of our institutions.
They must not dictate to the president who should be appointed as minister, MMDCE, DCEs, etc.
They must not also determine who should be promoted in Ghana Police service Or Ghana Army.
In UK for instance, The Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t dictate to any Prime Minister who should be removed or appointed into office.
This practice like that of the one in Kumasi by Asenteman Council if not stop, one day a Chief would get up and ask the president elected by the people of Ghana to step-down because they do not like the president.
Another question is would the Asenteman council ask the President to remove KMA boss from office if He was elected by people of Kumasi?
Now that he has bowed to pressure and resigned.
What next and who is next?
Our political leaders must not kowtow to the pressure from our tradition.”
