Kwahu chiefs fight over cemetery land

There is tension between the chiefs of Kwahu-Obomeng and Obo in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern Region, over the sale of cemetery land to a private developer for the construction of a fuel station.

The uneasy calm situation has pushed the chief of Obomeng, Nana Effah Opinamang, to condemn the Obo chief, Nana Afari Oboagyan II, for the sale of a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church cemetery land to a private business company, as the youth of Obomeng have reportedly waded into the imbroglio.

According to the youth, it is unacceptable for the traditional ruler to sell properties belonging to the people.

The Obo chief, on 13th September, 2017, sold the cemetery when the church had earlier buried bodies at the location. The scarifying of the land for the commencement of the construction of the fuel station had caused the exhumation of some bodies, with its attendant health implications.

In a statement signed by Siaw Ampadu also known as Akonta, the spokesman of Kwahu Obomeng Youth Association – with a copy to DAILY GIUDE – the youth averred, “We the concerned citizens of Obomeng-Kwahu have taken a keen note on the indiscriminate sale of Obomeng stool lands by the chief of Obo-Kwahu, Nana Yeboah Afari Oboagyan II, and we wish to take this opportunity to express our displeasure over this development.”

According to them, “We regard and give reverence to Obohene who is also the Nifahene of Kwahu. We recognize him as our chief and accord him the respect due him customarily as we give to every chief in the Kwahu Traditional Area.”

The statement noted that a situation where lands which are known to belong to the people of Obomeng – at Obomeng and Nkawkaw-Amanfrom – are sold by the Obohene is unacceptable, adding that it is with concern that several acres of land belonging to the people of Obomeng had all been sold by the Obohene with impunity without recourse to the chief of Obomeng.

Due to that, they have called on Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II, Kwahuhene and President of the Kwahu Traditional Council, the entire membership of the Kwahu Traditional Council, the Eastern Regional Minister, Members of Parliament (MPs) in the area, the MCE of Kwahu West Municipal Assembly, the Ghana Police Service, state security agencies and citizens of Kwahu to call the chief of Obo to order before they raise up against him.

The youth hinted that they were giving the Obohene seven days to desist from the sale of any part of Obomeng stool lands and also to revert the ones already sold to the Obomenghene.

When DAILY GUIDE contacted the Obohene, he admitted that his outfit had sold the said land to the private investor and so the Traditional Council had summoned him before the paramountcy to answer questions.