Former W/R Minister advises Chiefs: Speak up against injustice in Atuabo Chieftaincy dispute

A former Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has urged paramount chiefs in the region not to remain silent in the face of what he describes as “clear injustice” being meted out to one of their colleagues.

According to him, chiefs must speak out against acts of injustice because such situations,
if ignored, could easily befall any of them in the future. “I will advise chiefs not to remain silent but speak up. They should not say that because it is happening to their colleague, it cannot happen to them,” he cautioned.

Speaking in a telephone interview with The Chronicle, the former Regional Security
Council (REGSEC) Chairman expressed concern about reports suggesting that REGSEC
had allowed Egya Ackah, a rival claimant to the Atuabo stool, to organise and celebrate the
annual Kundum Festival at Atuabo, the traditional capital of the Eastern Nzema Traditional
Area.

Egya Ackah, who claims to have been enstooled as Paramount Chief of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, under the stool name Awulae Blay II, has scheduled Sunday,
November 2 (yesterday) for the celebration and durbar.

However, divisional chiefs under the Atuabo stool have publicly denounced him, insisting
that he is not the legitimate Paramount Chief.
They have, therefore, called on the security agencies to intervene and prevent him from holding the festival to avert a possible clash.
Mr. Okyere Darko-Mensah, sharing his experience as a former REGSEC Chairman, said he would never have entertained such a situation.

“There are clear rules governing chieftaincy and traditional institutions. I will be shocked if REGSEC is aware that someone who is not a gazetted paramount chief is being allowed to celebrate Kundum in that capacity,” he stressed. He added that REGSEC must act swiftly
to prevent the matter from escalating.“If we fail to act decisively, we may end up with
three people claiming to be chiefs over one community,” he warned.

The former Minister revealed that during his tenure, the Western Region had over 162
chieftaincy disputes, and in each case, REGSEC aligned with the gazetted paramount
chief to maintain law and order.
He maintained that the process of destooling a chief had been well spelt out in the
Chieftaincy Act and that anything done outside that procedure would be null and void.
“The legitimate paramount chief is known. If this had happened under my administration,
I would not have allowed any claimant to act as chief,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, The Chronicle has gathered that the Western Regional Security Council held separate meetings with both Awulae Amihere Kpanyile II, the gazetted Paramount Chief of Eastern Nzema and the claimant, Egya Ackah, over the impending Kundum
celebration.
According to reliable information, REGSEC has granted permission for the celebration to proceed but with restrictions on the claimant.

He has reportedly been instructed not to perform any functions reserved for a paramount
chief, such as riding in a palanquin. Confirming the development in an interview, the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph Nelson, said REGSEC’s main objective was to maintain peace and order during the festival. “REGSEC is not interested in who is the rightful chief and who is not. Our priority is to ensure peace in the area,” the Minister clarified.

He added that the Regional Police Command had been directed to deploy officers to
Atuabo during the festival to maintain security. “Kundum is a public celebration. If anyone
wishes to stop it, they must seek an injunction from the courts,” he noted.
However, it remains unclear whether REGSEC consulted the Western Regional House of Chiefs before taking its decision.

Sources close to Awulae Amihere Kpanyile II told The Chronicle that he was unhappy with
REGSEC’s decision to permit Egya Ackah’s participation, stressing that while he is not opposed to the festival itself, he was concerned about his rival’s involvement.

“In what capacity is Egya Ackah going to celebrate the Kundum, as Omanhene or what?” the paramount chief reportedly asked REGSEC during the meeting.
The source added that the Ndweafo royal family, which occupies the Atuabo stool, was still mourning the death of its head. Prior to the assassination attempt on him last year,
Awulae Amihere Kpanyile had directed that traditional areas under the Atuabo stool should not hold a full Kundum celebration in respect of the deceased family head.

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