Popular homosexual and gay rights activist, Davis Mac Iyalla has been installed as Amankorehen of the Yamonransa Nkusukum Traditional Area in the Central Region.
The Amankorehen is the Development chief who usually promotes activities that accelerates the development of an area and it is usually given to persons, possibly foreigners who have contributed to the development of a community.
Iyalla was installed by the Omanhen and President of Nkusukum Traditional Area, Nana Okese Essandoh IX,
under the stool name Nana Kwesi Gyasi I.
The ceremony was attended by several traditional authorities from Osu in Accra, Elmina, Mankessim and Cape Coast.
There was a police presence to ensure peace during the precession through the street.
Palanquin ride
Nana Kwesi Gyasi was carried in a palanquin through the Yamonransa township pouring schnapps along the route before arriving at the durbar grounds at the Nkusukum palace.
On reaching the grounds, Nana Gyasi and the paramount chief Nana Okese Esandoh engaged with police officials on the grounds.
After close to an hour in that engagement, the chiefs came to the durbar grounds to continue with the proceedings but with an amended programme lineup.
The swearing of an oath of allegiance to the Omahen in the state on the initial programme lineup was cancelled.
Nana Okese Esandoh thanked all who came for the outdooring ceremony.
In his speech, Nana Esandoh called on all to unite to move the community’s development forward.
Plea for projects
He called on the government to improve the state of roads in the community, storm drains and for police quarters and female police cells and a health centre adding that lands were available for such developments.
Iyalla in his address said he had completed all traditional formalities that now make him a chief.
He said he was born in Nigeria but is now a British citizen saying by “the grace of God I practice what I preach and that is human rights for all persons. I don’t believe in discrimination. Whether you are tall, short black, white, yellow or green you are a human being and I will fight for that belief to the very end. No matter what it cost me. I am not a hypocrite and I will not start now to be a hypocrite. You don’t need to like me but you have to respect my views,” he stated.
He explained that he came to know the Omanhen in April 2022 when the Omanhen had been in a chieftaincy dispute for 13 years.
He said soon after knowing him (the Omanhen) they worked to ensure he was gazetted in December 2022 and sworn into the regional house of chiefs.
Stopping the ceremony
“People were trying to stop the ceremony,” he stated saying that many who tried to stop the ceremony said some of the same people had made foreigners chiefs and benefited from it.
“I am a man of action. When I enter somewhere I bring change. Whenever I enter anywhere if I say I want to do something I do it and I do it very well.
He said people who would use him to fight the Omanhen were in for a long battle.
He said he belonged to Nkusukum Yamonransa and nobody can take it away from him. Let us not waste time. Let us celebrate and enjoy. I have completed the process as a chief,” he added.
In separate interviews, many of the community members indicated they did not know much about his background and being a gay activist and that they only knew that he was a foreigner committed to the development of the area.
He was born in 1972 in Nigeria and later established the Nigerian wing of the British Changing Attitude organization, which presses for internal reform of the Anglican communion for further inclusion of Anglican sexual minorities.
He was, in July 2003, fired from his job as the principal of a local Anglican children’s school; which he said was due to being gay.
He, therefore, became an activist and started work with Changing Attitude.
Watch the chief’s coronation below:
