The group was protesting among other issues, what it described as the compulsory acquisition of Ga lands by the government.

At a press conference in Accra yesterday, Nii Adottey Obour II, Sempe Mantse, the Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council explained why the Council disassociated itself from the demonstration, as a result of which it was subjected to insults and intimidation from the protestors.

Nii Obour disclosed that the Ga Traditional Council has a just cause concerning lands, which he said President Kufuor had recognized graciously and is working with the Council to resolve.

He said it is undeniable that Ga Dangme lands have been taken in the past but not by the current government. No government, he emphasised, ever promised to release lands.

He disclosed that President John Agyekum Kufour, last year at the Ga Mantse's Palace, made a categorical pledge to return Ga lands wherever appropriate. He said the Regional Coordinating Council and the Ministry of Lands and Forestry have come far working on the issue and therefore wondered how after all these efforts the Ga Dangme protestors would turn round to insult such a person.

Nii Obour said it was rather unfortunate that some of their kith and kin in the Ga Dangm Council have discarded all protocols, courtesies and even moral upbringing, to rain insults on the Ga Traditional Council for its decision not to demonstrate against the government in the so-called "March for Justice".

He said some of them went on radio and TV stations to interpret the Traditional Council's decision as "the result of having sold our conscience and sovereignty to the present government."

He said, "Others claim that we are docile and have colluded with the government to sell an acre of land at East Legon for ¢2 billion to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to put up a palace in Accra".

Their accusers in the Ga Dangme Council, he said, "went on to say that we are not putting pressure on the NPP government to return all unused Ga lands to the Ga people, but are satisfied with the NPP government selling lands to 'strangers' who will one day push us out of our own boundaries".

Nii Obour questioned the wisdom in the protestors' gripe about Ghanaians putting up buildings in Accra. What is wrong with someone putting up a building anywhere in Ghana, he queried, "especially when that person is a full-blooded Ghanaian".

He said the Traditional Council sincerely detested the distasteful sentiments being planted in the Ga Dangme youth, and called for it to be stopped now.

Nii Obour said the Ga Traditional Council is neither docile nor self-centred as alleged by the group. He said the Council has been working assiduously with the Presidency for the payment of relevant compensation for acquired lands, as well as the release of unused lands to their original owners.

"A case in point", he explained, "is the Osu land given out to Lever Brothers, which has finally been settled in favour of the Osu Stool".

Nii Obour disclosed that the Council is cataloguing other such lands in tandem with the government, "a reason for which the President set up the Land Committee recently".

He said the Ga Dangme Council has no mandate to deliberate in any issue in the name of the Ga Traditional Council.

He said the Ga Dangme Council is made up of politically motivated evil men who wanted to use Ga Dangmes for their selfish ends, "but they will never succeed".

The Ga Dangme Council, Nii Obour said, came about when some well meaning Ga Dangmes, about seven years ago, mooted the idea of coming together to form a think-tank that would make their professional expertise available to the Ga Dangme people, to enhance their status in the comity of ethnic groups in Ghana.

This group, he said, grew into what was to become the Ga Dangme Council. He said the Traditional Council received the group and tasked them with cataloguing its lands.

Six years on, Nii Obour said, "we are yet to receive their first report…rather they have turned themselves into overlords, insulting Niimei and Naamei at the least opportunity".

Due to the deviation from the initial objectives of the Ga Dangme Council and its inability to efficiently use funds sent from the Diaspora by Ga Dangmes, Nii Obour said, " almost all the branches abroad are breaking up from the mainstream".

He said even the membership of the main branch in Ghana has seen a huge chunk of its founding members turning their backs on the Council, which was intended to embrace all Ga Dangmes and do them good.

The Ga Dangme Council, it seems, has shot itself in many feet. In the process, it has blown to smithereens many reputations, reputations that would take a long time to gain the respect of the generality of Ghanaians.

The biggest casualty, undoubtedly is Mr. K.B. Asante, Educationist, Former Diplomat, Ex-Senior Civil Servant, Ex-Minister, Social Commentator, Politician, Newspaper Columnist…ethnocentrist(?)