The Berekum chieftancy dispute, which involved the Queen-mother and her group and the Krontihene and others on the other has taken a new turn.
Three royal families of the Berekum Traditional Area, (BTA) namely Abontema, Papase and Babianiha have petitioned President John Agyekum Kufuor to withdraw the appointment of the new IGP, Nana Owusu Nsiah.
In a resolution issued and copied to the Chronicle at Sunyani and signed by Mr. Oppong Kwame, alias Taller, on behalf of the youth of the three royal gates of the BTA, accused the IGP over his involvement in Berekum chieftaincy issues.
The youth in their resolution indicated that after the death of Nana Yiadom Boakye Owusu II, the queen-mother of Berekum, Nana Akua Aneahene nominated her own brother, Dr. Leo-Ofori as the paramount chief of the area without consulting the three royal families.
The aggrieved group continued that the queen-mother with the support of the Gyasehene and two other king-makers, out of ten king-makers in the traditional area illegally installed Dr. Leo-Ofori as the Omanhene of the Berekum Traditional Area.
It further revealed that the remaining eight king-makers and the three royal families petitioned the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chief’s Judicial Committee challenging the validity of the said installation of Dr. Leo-Ofori.
The group, according the resolution, the IGP, Nana Owusu Nsiah, is a party to the petition as one of the respondents, being Mawerehene of Berekum.
The IGP, as quoted in the document, does not want peace to prevail in the area, hence his acceptance of the invitation of Dr. Leo-Ofori (Omanhene) to his office.
The worried group said the dress and speech of the latter at the IGP’s office shows he is the paramount chief of the Berekum Traditional Area, which according to them is to provoke their anger.
The three royal families according to them, are afraid of the new IGP that he would use his office as an interested party to clamp down on the people, thereby thewarting any reaction to the several provocations by the queen-mother and the paramount chief.
The aggrieved group were of the view that the withdrawal of Nana Owusu Nsiah as IGP, the issue pending before the Judicial Committee of the Regional House of Chiefs could best be solved amicably, without any influence as the IGP or to use the police to harass anybody.
The resolution also urged the IGP to emulate the shining examples of the former Interior Minister and Northern Regional Minister, who both resigned from their post on principle for their alleged role in the Yendi crisis.
The group wondered why Nana Owusu Nsiah, as a lawyer by profession, should allow the queen-mother and the so-called Omanhene of Berekum to his office, knowing very well that hearing of the Berekum chieftaincy issue is before a lawful court.
The resolution called on President Kufuor to act on the issue swiftly to avoid what happened at Yendi.
