King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II

King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II is the Ga Mantse, the paramount traditional ruler of the Ga State in southern Ghana, whose domain encompasses Accra and the surrounding Ga Traditional Area. Born Kelvin Nii Tackie Abia on 2 August 1971 in Accra, he ascended one of the most historically significant stools in the country and has sought to blend the authority of tradition with a modern, development-minded outlook.

He was born to Dr Ebenezer Nii Armah Tackie and spent nearly three decades of his life in Kumasi, where his father worked as a senior lecturer and architect at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. This upbringing gave him a grounding outside the Ga heartland before he returned to assume his royal responsibilities, and it shaped his exposure to both academic and professional life.

His education was extensive. He completed his secondary schooling at Ghana Secondary School in Koforidua and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts and an MBA from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, later obtaining a PhD from the University of California. Before his enstoolment he pursued a varied professional career spanning broadcasting, entrepreneurship and academia, beginning as an assistant director at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation with a focus on audience research, an unusual background for a traditional ruler.

King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II was enstooled as the Ga Mantse of the Ga State on 9 May 2020, taking on leadership of a kingdom at the heart of Ghana's capital region. His accession came at a time of contestation over the Ga stool, but he emerged as the recognised paramount ruler and concurrently holds the position of President of the Ga Traditional Council. In that capacity he presides over the customary affairs of the Ga people and represents their interests in dealings with the state and other institutions.

As a modern king with a strong academic and professional pedigree, he has positioned himself as a leader bridging tradition and modernity, using his platform to champion the culture, welfare and development of the Ga community while engaging with contemporary governance. He has hosted dignitaries and enstooled honorary figures, reinforcing the Ga State's ceremonial and cultural standing. King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II continues to serve as the custodian of Ga heritage in Accra, seeking to advance the interests of his people in a rapidly changing capital.