Some indigenes of Abenase Edwinase and Asaapong in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality have accused the paramount chief of Ejisu of being the cause of the long drawn chieftaincy disputes in the area.
They lament that the 15 year-old chieftaincy dispute has stalled the development of the area.
In a press statement, the indigenes gave a history of the chieftaincy situation and explained that the Paramount Chief; Nana Afrane Okese IV seem to be interfering with and usurping the authority of the Queen mother of the area as far as choosing a chief for the area is concerned. They suspect that the Paramount chief is opposed to anyone he suspects will not condone some suspicious land sales that did not accrue to the benefit of the people.
Please read the full statement below:
Press Release
Don’t obstruct the enstoolement of Abenase chief – Abenase Indigenes tells Ejisu Paramount chief
We the undersigned indigenes of Abenase Edwinase and Asaapong in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality have observed with keen interest in the long protracted chieftaincy dispute bedeviling these communities in our time has taken a new twist.
Abenase chieftaincy dispute started after the sudden demise of the late Nana Yaw Boakye, who was the occupant of the stool.
The 15 years chieftaincy dispute has negatively affected the progress of the area, which when not addressed immediately would derail the fortunes of the present and generations yet unborn.
Our investigations have revealed that the architect behind this long protracted chieftaincy dispute is no other person than the paramount chief of Ejisu Nana Afrane Okese IV whose entrenched position has led to the long standing dispute.
After the demise of the late chief Nana Yaw Boakye, the Queen mother of the area Nana Yaa Nosorwaa II in consultation with her king makers nominated one Ofori Barack as the occupant of the vacant stool. Consequently, after he had taken the oath of allegiance to the people of Abenase and the late Paramount chief of Ejisu Nana Aboagye Adjei as the original chief,one of the opposing family members invoked the Great Oath (Otumfour Ntam kesie) against Ofori Barack’s occupant of the stool.
This forced the Asantehene to halt his enstoolment as a chief of Abenase.
Afterwards the matter was referred to the Asantehene for resolution. The King in his wisdom referred the matter to a 15 member committee for settlement.
Based on their findings, nine (9) of the committee members ruled in favour of the queen’s nominee Ofori Barack. However, since then, he has not been permitted to officially take the oath of allegiance.
Ironically, the Ejisu-Manhene seems to have rejected Ofori Barack’s nomination, forcing the Queenmother to nominate another person as a successor to the throne.
On 3rd June, 2016 the Abenase Queen mother received orders from the paramount chief asking her to withdraw her candidate who has been under consideration over the last 15 years.
To this we think the chief is trampering on the right of the queen mother, since she has the authority to nominate any candidate of her choice to fill the vacant stool, Why he is against the nominee of the queen mother are as follows: Nana Ofori Barack is not amenable person. Twenty-two acre land belonging to the people of Abenase have been leased out to the Winneba University of Education Kumasi campus, at a cost of 3 billion (old cedis) by the Paramount Chief of Ejisu Traditional Area, Nana Afranie Okesse IV, without the consent of the inhabitants, including farmers, and other stakeholders. The people of Abenase have been denied their rightful share of the proceeds. Similarly, the proceeds from 247 acres of land earmarked for the free zone project at Abenase have not been accounted for. He is taking over 4800 hectares of land belonging to the indigenes of the said communities without their general consent But the 1992 constitution of Ghana article 267 clause 1 under the stool and skin land states that all lands shall be held in trust for the appropriate stools and on behalf of his subjects as the custom may determine.
In the meantime Abenase keeps struggling for basic development projects. The chieftaincy dispute is creating some kind of insecurity in the above mentioned communities and we hereby call on the security agencies to step in before things get out of hand. We therefore asked the factions in the dispute to remain calm and wait for the next successor after the tenure of Ofori Barack Long live Abenase
Long live Edwinase
Long live Asaapong
Signed: Nana Akomea 0246607736
Robert Asuming 0245179022
Okine Boadu 0244938678
