TESHIE CONSTITUTION & GOVERNANCE

The Teshie Paramount Area is constituted by 5 Divisions and over 32 Villages. Teshie is sandwiched between La on the West and Nungua at the East and stretches from the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean to the foot of the Akwapim Hills. Some say Teshie was established in 1710 but historians like Carl Reindorf and W. E. Ward recorded that between 1660 and 1702, Teshie already had a full military capacity and participated actively in the Akwamu andAnlo Wars.

The 5 Divisions of Teshie are Lenshie, Kle, Krobo, Agbawe and Gbugblah. At the foundation of the town, the roles of Paramount Chief, Paramount Queen and Teshie Dzasetse were conferred on the Lenshie Clan because its patriarch, Numo Trebi, was the original and earliest settler circa 1642. He was joined much later by Nuumo Nmashie [former Mankralo of La] and his nephews Nuumo Tsie [Kle Musun Clan] and Nii Abladzei [Agbawe Clan] in 1710 . Nuumo Nmashie retained his role as Mankralo, Nuumo Tsie was made the Osabu Wulomo (Chief Priest) and Nii Abladzei took the role of Shikitele (Senior Linguist). The Gbugblah Clan was the last to settle in Teshie around 1774 and was given the office ofAtofotse (Treasurer and Junior Linguist).

The established Kingmakers of Teshie are the Mankralo, the Shikitele, the Osabu/Ayiku Wulomo and the Teshie Dzasetse. The Atofotse and other lower chiefs such as the Akwashongtse, the Teshie Woleiatse, Shippi and the Village Headmen are not among the Teshie Kingmakers.

Until quite recently Teshie ranked best among the 6 Ga States in terms of its buoyant fishing industry, military exploits and a galaxy of internationally acclaimed scholars, businessmen and master craftsmen. Teshie also occupies a pride of place on the world map in terms of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre, KAIPTC, Tetteh Quarshie and the Cocoa Industry as well as the iconic coffins by Professor Kane Kwei on display at famous.museums and exotic fairs in Europe and America.

However, following the death of Nii Ashikwei Akomfra III the 17th Teshie Mantse in 1985 Teshie was plunged into a devastating Chieftaincy Dispute for nearly 30 years. As a result of this conflict and other socio-economic factors such as the over-exploitation of the fish stock by pair trawlers as well as the annexation of Teshie farm lands by the building and construction industry, Teshie has lost its pride of place in the Ga State. Poverty is rife in Teshie and majority of the young men and women are unemployed while most of the children in the school-going bracket are not in the classroom.

Thankfully, the registration of Gbɛtsɔɔlɔ Nii Ashitey Akomfra III as Teshie Paramount Chief and Member of the Regional House of Chiefs as well the entry into force of the Teshie Traditional Council on 6th November, 2023 has placed Teshie in positive mode for a quick socio-economic transformation.