The Nii Arde Nkpa Family of Plerno, James Town, has installed Nii Annan Patu II as its new and substantive Head of Family, in a customary ceremony held to fill a position that had remained vacant since 1976.
The installation was performed by the Dzasetse of the family and Acting Mantse, Nii Ayinsah Sasraku III, who, by custom, holds the role of Kingmaker responsible for facilitating the appointment of a substantive Head of Family whenever the need arises.
Addressing distinguished guests, family heads, elders, traditional leaders and well-wishers at the ceremony, Nii Ayinsah Sasraku III said the day was significant not only for the installation of a new Head of Family, but also as “an important moment in the history, traditions, and customary governance of our family.”
He traced the family’s history to the reign of the founder of the ruling dynasty, Nii Ayinsah Sasraku I of Aseebu Mowure, who married Naa Korkoi Oyeadzo, daughter of the Ga Mantse Tieku Baah of Abola. The union produced six children, the eldest of whom, Nii Arde Nkpa I, moved with his father from Abola to settle at Ngleshie, where they established Plerno under the leadership of the then James Town Mantse, Nii Kofi Akrashie.
According to the Dzasetse, the chieftaincy passed down through successive holders of the Nii Arde Nkpa stool up to Nii Arde Nkpa VI, Mr Ebenezer Nii Arde Tackie, who was installed in 1958. He said that in 1976, Nii Arde Nkpa VI and the family’s heads took the decision that the offices of Chief, Dzasetse and Head of Family should no longer be held by one person, but should be opened up to other qualified members of the family.
That decision led to the appointment of Dr E. B. Tagoe, of the Tagoe line, as Head of Family in 1976, under the title Nii Ayinsah Sasraku II.
The Dzasetse recounted that following the passing of Nii Ayinsah Sasraku II on 11th January 2001, Nii Arde Nkpa VI took over as Acting Head of Family, and that upon the latter’s death on 11th May 2003, Nii Ayinsah Sasraku III himself was installed in 2004 as Substantive Dzasetse and Acting Mantse and Head of Family. He said a new chief, Nii Arde Nkpa VII, was subsequently installed on 23rd December 2008, pending full execution of the 1976 resolution.
Speaking on the significance of the day’s installation, Nii Ayinsah Sasraku III described it as an act carried out “in fulfilment of this customary responsibility,” and stressed that the position of Head of Family was “not merely a ceremonial appointment,” but one that carried significant responsibility for preserving the family’s traditions, promoting unity, and protecting the interests of present and future generations.
He called on all members of the Nii Arde Nkpa family to extend their full co-operation, respect and support to the new Head of Family, and urged that differences within the family be resolved through dialogue and respect for tradition. He further appealed to the younger generation to take keen interest in the family’s history, saying it was their collective responsibility to preserve the customs handed down by their forebears and pass them on to future generations.
The Dzasetse expressed confidence that, with the co-operation of elders, family members and other stakeholders, the new Head of Family would help strengthen unity and progress within the Nii Arde Nkpa family, and extended his congratulations to Nii Annan Patu II on his installation.
He closed the ceremony with a call for peace, stability and development within the family, and wished the Nii Arde Nkpa family continued prosperity in unity and peace.
The kingmakers and elders present at the ceremony offered words of counsel to the newly installed head.
He was admonished to serve the elders and not lord over them, and to always remain humble.
He was also advised to listen to and seek wise counsel, consulting the elders whenever the need arose. Unity was emphasised as his guiding principle, and he was reminded that he could not do the work alone but would need the support of the entire family.
In his response, the newly installed head of the Nii Arde Nkpa family, Nii Annan Patu II—known in private life as Edward Ezekiel Browning Nii Tackie Tagoe, a fitness instructor—pledged his loyalty to the kingmakers and elders. He encouraged all elders and kingmakers to rally behind him in unity.
“Let’s all unite and extend that unity towards our other smaller communities such as Kokrobite, La, Tema, and others,” he added.
The installation ceremony was attended by a cross-section of family members, elders, and well-wishers who came to witness the historic occasion and offer their congratulations to the new head of family.
