Manya Krobo kick against secession of Akuse to Greater Accra

Accra, Dec. 1, GNA - Nene Sackitey II, Konor (Paramount) of the Manya Krobo said the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation erred to secede Akuse Electoral Area to the Greater Accra Region. He said the path set out by the committee was a conspiracy against the commission established by the government and judgment of the Supreme Court. Nene Sackitey has therefore petitioned government to intervene and establish the truth about the matter, he said at a press briefing in Accra. He registered the displeasure of the traditional area about what he alleged as attempts by the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation to move Akuse, which is currently part of the Eastern Region to the Dangbe West District of the Greater Accra Region.

The Konor who was resplendent in black cloth with red band around his neck travelled with a retinue of Asafo (warriors) group singing war songs. He said the decision of parliament was forcing the people of Manya Krobo into provocation.

"If freedom and justice has anything to hold. where is the justice and why are all people around Manya Krobo forcing us into extreme provocation," he asked? He said people who were fanning the secession flame were deliberately attempting to distort history. Krobo first area of settlement according to him was at Krobo Mountains at Okwenya few kilometres from Akuse. He recounted that when the British Colonial Administration forced them out of the mountains, the Krobos settled at Akuse, Okwenya Kpong Muerter (boundary with Asuogyaman) Nuaso, Odumase Atua, Sarwe,( boundary with Yilo Krobo Asitey), then to Upper Manya Krobo at Asesewa and beyond. The Manya Konor said the action of the agitators compelled the traditional area pursue the matter in the Supreme Court, whose decision in July 2008 confirmed that Akuse belonged to Manya Krobo District. He noted that the same decision was reiterated and upheld by the Nathan Quao report in 1995.

"There has never been a region called Greater Accra Region until its creation in 1982 and that the 1982 map of the Greater Accra Region was drawn to the specification of the schedule to the PNDC Law 26)," he said. Nene Sackitey said: "Therefore Natriku's (Akuse) position as shown in the map is within Eastern Region. It is not right therefore for anybody to conclude that Akuse had been part of the Greater Accra Region." He argued that the Supreme Court ruling in 2008 categorically pointed out to the Electoral Commission (EC) to always comply with the laws of Ghana but had no authority to determine regional boundaries. He said despite this caution the EC had ordered their representatives in the Lower Manya to Krobo District to hand over electoral registration files to Dangbe West District.

"Has the EC the mandate to authorise one community in one region to go and vote in another region?, does the 1992 Constitution allow that this kind of artificial re-demarcation of our regional boundaries," he questioned. "Absolutely not," this is dangerous, we the people of Manya Krobo will always enforce and defend the Supreme Court decision on this issue," he said.

Mr Michael Teye Nyaunu, Member of Parliament for Lower Manya said even though the traditional area petitioned the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the matter no representative of the chiefs and people was invited for consultation on the issue. He said the battle to reverse the decision would be fought legitimately, adding that government was not fair to them. Mr David Assumeng, Member for Shai Osudoku said he did not understand why Akuse, which was about 26 killometres from Manya Krobo should be in Nene Sackitey's jurisdiction. He quoted PNDC Law 26, Legislative Instrument 1490 and 1492 as establishing Akuse as part of the Greater Accra Region. He said the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation did the right thing to put Akuse back to where it belonged. 1 Dec. 10