The custodian of one of Accra’s most revered traditional offices has stepped forward to confront a wave of unverified reports head-on — calling on the public, the press, and social media users to immediately stop circulating claims about the death of the Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi Bonte II.
Nuumo Akwaa Mensah III, the Nae Wulomo, has issued an unambiguous public statement urging calm and restraint in the face of reports alleging the passing of Nii Ayi Bonte II, Paramount Chief of the Gbese Traditional Area.
Speaking with clear authority, Nuumo Akwaa Mensah III was direct: the family of Nii Ayi Bonte II has made no official communication regarding the alleged death, and until such communication is made through the proper channels, all reports circulating on social media and other platforms should be treated as unverified and disregarded entirely.
His appeal was addressed broadly — to media houses, bloggers, individual social media users, and the general public — leaving no doubt about the seriousness with which the traditional establishment views the situation.
Central to the Nae Wulomo’s statement was a firm reminder of the protocol that governs news of this nature. Matters involving the health or passing of a traditional ruler, he stressed, are deeply sensitive and must only be communicated after due consultation with the family and the relevant traditional authorities — through the appropriate and recognised channels.
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The uncontrolled spread of unverified information, he warned, does far more than create confusion. It inflicts unnecessary pain, triggers unwarranted panic, and — perhaps most critically — erodes the dignity and institutional respect that Ghana’s chieftaincy structures have earned and deserve.
Respect for a Revered Institution
Nuumo Akwaa Mensah III went further, making a pointed appeal rooted in the standing of Nii Ayi Bonte II himself. As Paramount Chief of the Gbese Traditional Area and a respected member of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Ayi Bonte II commands a level of reverence that demands responsible conduct from all who speak or write about him.
The Nae Wulomo’s message to the public was clear: exercise responsibility, exercise restraint, and exercise caution.
Nuumo Akwaa Mensah III reserved particular emphasis for journalists and media organisations, calling on them to uphold the standards of their profession by verifying information from credible and authoritative sources before committing anything to publication.
Accuracy, he noted, is not optional — it is the foundation upon which public trust is built and maintained. In a media environment where unverified content spreads faster than corrections can follow, the duty of every journalist and content creator to pause, verify, and confirm before publishing has never been more important.
As the Gbese Traditional Area awaits an official word from the family, the Nae Wulomo’s appeal stands as both a caution and a challenge: let the institutions speak for themselves, in their own time, and through their own voice.