The mortal remains of the only legitimate Gbese Mantse and Adoten of the Ga State, Nii Okaidja III, who has the full backing of all three Royal Ruling Houses of Gbese, would be finally buried on Saturday November 14, 2020 in Accra with pomp and befitting customs.
The final arrangement for the burial of the late Nii Okaidja III was announced by the Ga Mantse and elders of the Ga State, including all Heads of Families of the Royal Ruling Houses of Gbese, after an Accra High Court (General Jurisdiction One) threw away the contempt suit filed by Mr Tommy Okine aka Nii Ayi Bonte II against the Head of the Nii Tetteh Ankamah We family, Nii Tetteh Ankamah III, restraining him and others not to bury the late Nii Okaija III with the chieftaincy title of “legitimately installed but not gazetted Gbese Mantse and Adonten of the Ga State.”
The contempt suit filed by Nii Ayi Bonte II, the rival Gbese chief to the late Nii Okaidja III, has prevented the elders of Nii Tetteh Ankamah We, the second Royal Ruling House of Gbese Stool and the entire principal kingmakers and accredited elders of Gbese Royal Stool, to perform the final burial rites for the late Nii Okaija III which was scheduled to be held on November 9, 2019.
The traditional and customary final funeral rites and interment of Nii Okaidja IlI are scheduled to take off as follows: A book of Condolence will be opened from 11th November 2020 at Nii Tetteh Ankamah We, Gbese, the Second Royal Ruling House of Gbese; 13th November 2020: Wake keeping at Nii Tetteh Ankamah We; and 14th November 2020: Burial and Thanksgiving Service at the Fore Court of the new Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Building, adjacent to the Octagon Building and near the Tema Station, Accra at 10.00 am prompt.
The interment is private. The funeral rites: It follows immediately at the same Fore Court of the AMA Building; 15th November 2020: Memorial and Thanksgiving Service at the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Attah-Mills High Street, Accra, at 10.00 am. Continuation of the funeral rites Immediately after the Thanksgiving Service will be at Nii Okaija’s residence, H/No. 5 Asafotu Close, North Odorkor, Accra (Close to Ateco Technical School on the Odorkor side of the Awoshie Traffic Light Junction).
The family members of the late Nii Okaidja III stressed the urgent need for national security protection of lives and properties of the public, saying that they had hint that some disgruntled and self-seeking elders and youth from the other feuding party are planning to stop the processes of the final funeral celebration of the revered Ga royal.
Nii Okaija III died on January 1, 2019 in London after a short illness. The late Nii Okaidja IlI, who was a retired UK-based Ghanaian Presiding Justice and was enstooled on October 8, 2006, reigned for eleven years and died at the age of 78 years.
Nii Okaidja III succeeded the late Gbese Mantse, Nii Agbofu II, who died in 2002 and after four and a half years was buried before Nii Okadija was installed as Gbese Mantse and Adonten of the Ga State. His enstoolment was legitimately done in peace and in line with Ga traditions and customs under the Chieftaincy Act and the Gbese 1941 Agreement.
However, the ruling of the court on January 22, 2020 to throw out the suit of Nii Ayi Bonte II has ended a long legal battle between Nii Okaija III and Tommy Okine over who is the legitimate Gbese Mantse and Adonten of the Ga State. The ruling gave the legal backing to the elders to proceed to announce formally the final date for Nii Okaidja III to be buried.
