The country Ghana has had an experienced of various forms of political history that have spanned from pre-colonial through colonial to the modern Ghana. Modern Ghana has also experimented a different kind of political ideologies, this is because the previous democratic governments are not been allow to save their full term in office there are always been interrupted by the military “praetorainism”.
The country has had four republics after independent, the gain it route in 1992 to constitutional rule this has, to a larger extent, contributed to the multi-party system that the country is currently enjoying as well as an icon of democracy and a beacon for peace and stability in Africa continent. Ghana a nation in West Africa formerly a British colony, known as the Gold Coast, which had it independence in 1957, the first black Africa country in sub-Saharan Africa country to achieve political independence from European colonial rule.
Historical Perspective of Ghana
Drawing from it tradition, before the Europeans came to Africa to trade, Ghana was part of the Mali empire which was also once the Ghana empire, The Kingdom of Ghana was succeeded by the Mali Empire and then Songhai. These later states developed commercial links with the people of what is now Ghana. Local trade and politics were important in the pre-colonial era; this was the era of chiefdoms. The kingdom was ruled by a king, and wealth was a source of power in the kingdom, there were no political parties but the chiefs could organize his people to perform the various function.
Inspire by the works of Nisin, Nkrumah, Yeboah and others I attempt to show how the evolution of politics in Ghana. Ashanti kingdom was the main dominate political state in what is present know as Ghana, sub-Sahara Africa monarchy founded in 1600s Osei Tutu was the first king of the Ashanti kingdom. Osei Tutu transforms the kingdom to centralized political authority. Okomfo Anokye a long-time friend of the king helped to transform the kingdom to a strong permanent political union by writing the first code of laws and constitutions. He also conjured a golden stool from the heavens to symbolize as the seat and power of their leader. As a monarchy system of governance power was fully rested in the hands of the king, but as time goes on the structure of the central government was formalised. Legislature body was formed Asantemanhyiamu (parliment) with the king of Ashanti as its head and other sub-chiefs as it members. All the major ethnic groups had their leaders know us abusua panyini (members of parliament) these leaders meet in the national assemble to make decision on behalf of the community. There were others agencies that were responsible for the day to day activities of the state. The council was made of military and civilians that see the day to day activities of the state, nkontaabuofo (ministry of finance), who manage revenues and expenditures of gold dust modern term ministry of finance, and the kotokuosoafo, who generate revenues by collecting fines, taxes, and other fees, afenasoafo (messengers) that send communication from the central government to other parts of the kingdom. The nkwansrafo (ministry of defense) maintained security along the borders of the kingdom, and the akwanmofo (ministry of roads) responsible for road maintenance.
As I agreed with some scholars that Africa was practicing good governance with system and decision making by all citizens before the coming of the Europeans imperialism in the Africa continent. The only shortfall of the governance in Ashanti kingdom was that power was seen as an inheritance and only the royal family can become leaders of the kingdom.
Colonial government took the rule of the kingdom in 1901 as part of the gold coast thou the colonial government gives the kingdom power on it internal affairs it has however affected the monarchy system of governance. As Gold Coast moves to independence in 1950 and after it gained its independence the country was renamed Ghana with a democratic system of governance. The traditional system of governance still practice across the country, which is the culture of Ghanaians sankofa going back to the old root.
As Ghanaian culture undergoes repeated assaults from foreign values and rapid social political and economic change it remains recognizably and definably “the king of Ashanti and the king of Dagbon”
Ghanaian societies still see the traditional leaders to be more powerful than their political leader that is to say you can’t insult the king of Ashanti. This is an impressive testimony to the strength of Ghanaian culture for many years of the influence of colonial culture and more than 60years of preceding the Ghanaian independence victory in 1957, Ghana had been in the boiling point of the military rule, discontent, anger, revolution and conflict but the monarchy system is maintained.
The very same tradition which is so rich and complex that the politicians would require the support of the chiefs to address political issues, development issues, and attitudes, has provided a powerful glue for holding Ghana together against the centrifugal forces. Each of the ten regions has a regional minister which is nominated by the president and approve by the legislature to coordinate the policies of the government, in the same situation each of ten regions has regional house of chiefs with an elected president as their head, the chiefs also coordinate the development of the region by working with the government but do not take part in the political activities like campaigning for a political party.
As a result, the integration of traditional rule and democratically rule in Ghana. This there leads to my concept of tra-democracy, in modern Ghana, we have two-way, judiciary system (chief palace and the law court), two-way legislature (chief palace and the parliament house), that is the traditional and democratic.
Tra-democracy is much accepted in the country and the practice is been modernize to reflect the current political system in the country. Traditional rule which can be term us monarch forms of government has been integrated to the democratic system of government to form the tra-democracy, the concept of tra-democracy is a form double system of the organs government in the country, there is the traditional judiciary that chief serve as the judge and is non-bureaucratic form of judiciary system as compared to the contemporary judiciary system which is so bureaucratic. The citizenry prefers the traditional court more than the law courts in the society, especially in rural society.
Ajene Abongo Mashood Jacob
Political Researcher
Interim Chairman NPP Russia
You can contact me on [email protected]