I believe in dialogue not war - Oseadeeyo Ameyaw

Techiman, Mar. 24, GNA - Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Omanhene of Techiman, has stated that the chiefs and people in the area believed in dialogue and that he would resort to the law courts to seek redress in the Tuobodom issue.

"War has never been the answer, it is not the answer, and in fact will forever not be the answer to the type of crisis that we have all found ourselves in today. Gone were the days when kingdoms engaged each other in wars to settle disputes."

Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw was addressing a press conference in Techiman under the theme: "the Techiman-Tuobodom stand off, setting the records straight" on Tuesday.

He said the people of Techiman were peace loving and believed that peaceful co-existence was a necessary condition for accelerated development. The Omanhene decried the serious misrepresentation, misinformation, lies and deliberate attempts by some people who had vested interest in the Techiman-Tuobodom issue and the Tano-Subin cases to mislead the Ghanaian public.

On what brought about the Tuobodom stand off, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw referred to a shooting incident that occurred in October 7, 2008 when he was on his way to attend a yam festival of Nana Obeng Ameyaw Barima II, chief of Tuobodom and Akyempemhene of Techiman traditional area.

He said when his convoy reached the outskirts of Tuobodom, they were attacked and many of his subjects sustained gun shot wounds and mentioned the one Kwaku Takyi who ended up a paralyzed man. Referring to the recent press conference organized by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw said he and his elders "have decided to watch him from the sidelines with sadness, because he (Asantehene) has allowed himself to be misled" by the people who fed him with lies and misinformation".

The Omanhene appealed to the Asantehene to "cool down" and allow the law to take its course. Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw said he had "left everything to the security services to decide because being a law abiding citizen, the last thing I will do is to threaten the life of an innocent person".