Chief of Nahinso in trouble with the police again

Officials from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) have confronted Nana Addo Boaman, the Chief of Nahinso, accusing him of illegally filling a local wetland.

The heated exchange took place on Thursday, July 18, 2024, in the wake of growing concerns about the environmental impact and legal ramifications of the Chief's actions.

Nana Addo Boaman defended his efforts, claiming that filling the wetland was essential to prevent flooding and improve road conditions.

"This is a problem that I came to inherit; it is not something that was created by me. I came to meet all these buildings here, and upon hearing the complaints that have been coming from them, I told them that I can’t sit down, and the right place for me to go is to go to the assembly," he said.

The Chief detailed his attempts to seek assistance, saying: "Initially, my plea was that he should help me with an excavator to come and clear the waterway, and he told me emphatically that I should go and see the assembly member."

“As of the time he was telling me this, somebody within the assembly told me that people had just been elected and had not been inaugurated yet."

Despite the Chief’s explanations, Ashanti Regional Director of NADMO, Frank Duodu, ordered his arrest, arguing that the Chief lacked the authority to fill the wetland.

Duodu stressed the environmental consequences, noting that the area is a designated wetland and that the chief's actions could cause severe ecological damage.

GRIDCo officials also raised alarms about the risks to their pylons from the Chief’s use of laterite for filling the wetland. They suggested that the roadworks were a pretext for the illegal filling.

In response, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) erected warning signs to prevent further access to the area.

Daniel Kofi Teye, Ashanti Regional Programmes Officer of the EPA, called on the Asantehene to intervene and halt the development of wetlands by local chiefs.

Following the confrontation, Chief Nana Addo Boaman was taken to the Asokwa Police Command for further investigation.