Slaughter House Land: Investigate Lands Minister immediately - Akufo-Addo told

The Concern Sunyani Butchers Association in the Bono Region have petitioned President Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency probe the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Kweku Asomah Cheremeh for allegedly purchasing a land which Sunyani Slaughter House is situated on for his private business.

In a petition signed by the Chief Butcher of the Association, Alhaji Seidu Mohammed, addressed to President Akufo-Addo and sighted by the media, alleged that "The Sunyani Municipal Assembly has conspired with certain persons to transfer the land on which the Sunyani Slaughter House is situated to one Nana Adu Adjei a 17 year old student of Achimota Senior High School in Accra".

The letter added that "Our checks clearly indicates that, the parcel of land was purchased by Hon. Kweku Asomah Cheremeh the Former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister and now Lands and Natural Resources Minister in and with the name of his son".

The letter emphasized "The land has over the decades created employment for over 200 Butchers who had their daily bread from the slaughter house. However due to the transfer of ownership of the land, this has rendered the zongo boys jobless".

The letter accused the Lands and Natural Resources Minister for using the land to build a fuel station on it hence described this move as very bad and selfish decision taken by him.

"Mr. President, our checks indicate that, Hon. Asoma Cheremeh is behind the construction of a fueling station on the land which is located inside the market. We think this is very bad and a selfish decision by your Minister", the letter bemoaned.

The letter therefore urged President Akufo-Addo to do something about the issue else the NPP will lose at Sunyani Zongo for the first time since 1992.

The letter revealed that they have channelled all their grievances to the party leadership in the Region and they all declined to the matter because Mr. Asomah Cheremeh is very powerful person in the NPP government.

The letter however, has pleaded with President Akufo-Addo to let the National Security to come down to Sunyani Zongo Slaughter House to probe this matter and ascertain the velocity of the facts for his perusal.

"Your Excellency, I am humbly pleading with you to allow your National Security to come down to Sunyani Zongo Slaughter House to probe this matter and ascertain the velocity of the facts for your perusal. Mr. President, we have channelled our grievances through the leadership of the NPP party in the Region but they have all declined to take up the matter for strange reasons. On one occasion, a member of the Regional Council of Elders told me that, Asoma Cheremeh is very powerful and most of the Executives dread him that is why they have all decided to keep a blind eye", the letter urged.

The letter therefore, hinted "Your excellency, I would like to state unequivocally that, if the party has decided to abandon us, they should also forget about Sunyani Zongo. Because if they dare come here even for campaign, I can predict the reaction of the irate zongo youth".

Below is the full petition

Concern Sunyani Butchers Association

Bono Region

Sunyani Zongo

13th March, 2019

The Republic of Ghana

The President

Jubliee House

Kanda - Accra

Your Execellency,

PETITION TO INVESTIGATE A TRANSFER OF LAND WHICH HAS RENDERED OVER 200 YOUTH JOBLESS

Mr. President, I write this letter with a heavy and furious heart however, I would begin by sending you warm greetings from the walls of sunyani zongo and also congratulate you for settling a long standing dispute at Dabgon. We are forever grateful.

However Mr. President, there is something very serious and disastrous happening in the Bono Region and I would like to bring to your notice in my capacity as an elder of the Zongo Community in the Sunyani township and also as a Senior and Chief Butcher of the Concern Butchers Association at the Sunyani Slaughter House in the Bono Region.

Mr. President, my message is simple and I will proceed by stating my points and explain them below seriatim:

1. Mr. President, please all is not well at all in the Bono Region. Because the Sunyani Municipal Assembly has conspired with certain persons to transfer the land on which the Sunyani Slaughter House is situated to one Nana Adu Adjei a 17 year old student of Achimota Senior High School in Accra. Our checks clearly indicates that, the parcel of land was purchased by Hon. Kweku Asomah Cheremeh the Former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister and now Lands and Natural Resources Minister in and with the name of his son.

2. The land has over the decades created employment for over 200 Butchers who had their daily bread from the slaughter house. However due to the transfer of ownership of the land, this has rendered the zongo boys jobless.

3. Mr. President, our checks indicate that, Hon. Asoma Cheremeh is behind the construction of a fueling station on the land which is located inside the market. We think this is very bad and a selfish decision by your Minister.

4. Mr. President, you can verify from your records and same will prove to you that, Sunyani Zongo was the first zongo the NPP won and has been winning here since the 1992 constitution was promulgated. But Mr. President I assure you that 2020 will be the first time NPP will lose at Sunyani Zongo. Because the victory chalked by the party over the decade has been through the instrumentality of some of us but now, our own party wants to turn against us and take our daily bread from our mouths.

6. Mr. President, it is important to note that we have occupied the land for the past 70 years now. No one has ever tried to vacate us from the land not even our political opponents. The land has undoubtedly fed millions of the inhabitants of the Zongo Community. But now, one man has decided to take this away from us. Mr. President, as at the time we took possession of the land, even Asomah Cheremeh himself was not born.

7. Your Excellency, I am humbly pleading with you to allow your National Security to come down to Sunyani Zongo Slaughter House to probe this matter and ascertain the velocity of the facts for your perusal. Mr. President, we have channelled our grievances through the leadership of the NPP party in the Region but they have all declined to take up the matter for strange reasons. On one occasion, a member of the Regional Council of Elders told me that, Asoma Cheremeh is very powerful and most of the Executives dread him that is why they have all decided to keep a blind eye.

8. Your excellency, I would like to state unequivocally that, if the party has decided to abandon us, they should also forget about Sunyani Zongo. Because if they dare come here even for campaign, I can predict the reaction of the irate zongo youth.

Mr. President, it is our prayer you treat this matter with all seriousness to immediately ascertain the efficacy of the matter because we are suffering.

Thank You and may Allah bless you.

Yours faithfully

Alhaji Seidu Mohammed AKA (Alhaji Zongo)

Chief Butcher of the Concern Butchers Association