Osu youth want chief installed

Accra (Greater Accra), 14th April ?99

The youth of Osu, angered by the undue delay in enstooling a new chief, on Tuesday stormed the residence of the acting Osiahene, Nii E.Q. Nortey, singing war songs and demanding a substantive chief for the town. They had called on Nii Nortey, who was having a meeting with the Kinkawe Gyaaase, both kingmakers of Osu, to press home their point.

The youth, led by Mr Paul Stainer, expressed their anxiety over the state of affairs in the township, which, they said, had stalled development leading to many of them being unemployed. They protested against the indiscriminate sale of Osu lands, saying the lack of a substantive chief had led to this unhealthy development. The youth also expressed disappointment that although Osu is the seat of government, the absence of a chief had not made it possible for the President to meet with them formally. This state of affairs, they said, cannot continue any longer and demanded the immediate enstoolment of a substantive chief for the town.

Nii Nortey assured the youth that he and the Gyaasehene had started the necessary customary rites to install a substantive chief and, therefore, urged them to exercise restraint.