Chieftaincy dispute brewing at Osu

The Kingmakers of the Osu Dzase Stool on Wednesday threatened to disrupt the outdooring of Nii Nortey Owuo III as Osu Mantse because his nomination, election and installation did not meet traditional requirements.

The kingmakers and the head of the Owuo We royal clan of Osu said David Nortey Ashong, who was installed under the stool name Nii Nortey Owuo III in April 1999, "is not known in the Royal House and does not hail from the Owuo Clan".

At a news conference held in Accra, the Kingmakers, Mr. J. Odartey Lamptey, Head of Nii Ordatey Sro We, Nii Adu Attey, Head of Nii Teinor We and Mr C. B. Hammond, head of Adupkonor We of the Osu Traditional area, therefore, called on the government and security agencies to stop the outdooring scheduled for next Saturday for peace to prevail within the Osu Traditional area.

Their protest is against the backdrop of a statement issued by the Council of Elders of Osu that the dispute surrounding the installation of the chief had been resolved to pave way for the outdooring.

According to the statement, issued on the 4 April and signed by Nii Okwei Nortey, Osu Stool Secretary, "the Ga Traditional Council in a ruling on Thursday, 28th March, 2002 resolved the Chieftaincy dispute that had held up the outdooring of Nii Nortey Owuo III."

The Kingmakers, however, said the dispute had not been resolved because the case was still pending before the judicial committee of Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs

"If the installation of Nii Nortey Owuo to be held on Saturday 13 April, is not stopped the peace and tranquillity that had existed within the Osu traditional area would be threatened," the Kingmakers said.

They alleged that prior to the installation of Nii Nortey Owuo, the elders of the four quarters of Osu sought counsel from the Ga Traditional Council that advised them to settle their differences so that together they could present a common candidate for the stool.

The Kpeshie Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service also directed that for peace to prevail all activities involving Chieftaincy be suspended until further notice. The Kingmakers said in April 1999 Mr E. Q. Nortey disregarded the counselling of the Traditional Council and the directive of the Police and installed Nii Nortey Owuo III.

They said that the head of the Owuo family, who was not satisfied with the turn of events, filed a writ against Mr E. Q. Nortey and Nii Nortey Owuo III at the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs.

They, therefore, called on groups and individual, who had the intention of "unlawfully installing an unknown person as Osu Mantse to desist from doing so to enable peace and orderliness, which is the hallmark of Osu, to prevail.