Tension brews at Tuobodom over chieftaincy dispute

Tension is brewing between supporters of the two rival chiefs of Tuobodom in the Techiman municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region, following a protracted chieftaincy dispute.

The chiefs, Baafour Asare II owes his allegiance to the Golden Stool of (Asanteman) while Nana Obeng Ameyaw II, Akyempemhene of Techiman, owes his allegiance to the Techiman Traditional Council.

To this end, the Tuobodom Traditional Council, with Baafour Asare II as its president, has called on the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to act swiftly, to avert possible clashes in the town.

On March 7 and March 8, this year, Baafour Asare II will attend the standing committee and general meetings of the Regional House of Chiefs where he and Nana Oduro Boamah II, chief of Tanoboase, and Nana Boakye Yiadom, chief of Tanoso in the municipality, are expected to be sworn in and inducted as members of the house.

In March 2010, a bloody violence erupted between supporters of the two chiefs that led to the death of three persons while many others were injured as a result of the protracted chieftaincy dispute.

The impending swearig-in ceremony followed a ruling by a High Court in Kumasi in favour of the three paramount chiefs of Tuobodom, Tanoboase and Tanoso traditional councils.

The traditional council made the all in a letter addressed to Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Regional Minister and Chairman of REGSEC, and signed by Mr Samuel Adjei Boahen, Council's Secretary.

The council stated in the letter that “couples of weeks ago, the Tuobodom, Tanoboase and Tanoso traditional councils in the municipality wrote to the REGSEC, among other matters, drawing the attention to pockets of security threats.

"For that reason we requested for police/ security protection for the said chiefs as they travel to and from Sunyani on March 7 and 8 ... to attend the Standing Committee and General Meetings of the Regional House of Chiefs where the chiefs of the three areas shall be sworn in and inducted as members of the house," it said.

The council expressed concern that "our opponents are making frantic efforts to scuttle the said swearing in ceremony by ensuring that they ignite confusion, trouble and anarchy at Tuobodom during the days leading to the occasion of the ceremony in Sunyani”.