Trouble Looms At Mankessim

The Mankessim Borbor Mfantsi traditional area may look quiet visibly, as the area prepares for this year's Borbor Mfantsi festival but deep down, tension is rising high between the original royal family of Ebusaupanyin Ebow Mbeah and another headed by Ebusuapanyin Kwame Ababio over the organization of the festival.

Similar incident resulted in violent clashes three years ago and since then the chieftaincy dispute in the area has not been resolved.

Chronicle has learnt that there is threat of a looming bloodbath between the factions if efforts are not made now to bring the situation under control before the festival begins next week.

It was also gathered that while the original royal family of Ebusuapanyin Ebow Mbeah is busy dishing out invitations for the festival, the other faction headed by Kwame Ababio has outlined series of activities to mark the event.

Chieftaincy litigation in the Mankessim Borbor traditional area has protracted over the last decade between the original royal family of Ebusuapanyin Ebow Mbeah and Ebusuapanyin Kwame Ababio with both factions claiming to be the legitimate royal family in Mankessim.

In a letter addressed to the Minister of the Interior dated September 2, this year and copied to the Inspector-General of Police, Nana Owusu Nsaih, among others, informing the minister of the Mankessim chieftaincy affairs, the Ebow Mbeah family called for the timely intervention of the authorities to avert any tragic occurrence, like the Yendi crisis, in Mankessim.

According to the two-page letter signed by the acting president of the Mankessim Traditional Council, Nana Opoku Akwaa II and Nana Apreku Sampson, secretary to the Nananom of the Mankessim State Council, the Ebow Mbeah told the minister, "Our Borbor festival is only a week away.

Amanfo Adu and his followers are feverishly preparing to celebrate," and went on "we are very uncomfortable about this development because we are the rightful authority to organize the celebrations of the occasion."

Explaining further, they alleged that in 1994, Ebusuapanyin Kwame Ababio enstooled one Richard Hagan as Omanhene of Mankessim under circumstances which could only be described as 'untraditional.'

This Richard Hagan, it was alleged, was confined on one Friday and installed on the following Saturday under the stool name Nana Amanfo Adu against all traditional norms and practices.

Hagan's Omanhene's status, they said, was annulled by the cancellation of his Gazette and was ordered not to carry himself as a chief.

Hagan, who then appealed to the High Court for reinstatement, was said to have violated the order with impunity.

"In March 2002, the appeal did not stand the test of time and again Hagan failed to win the case and was further barred from taking the case to any court of appeal since it was apparent that he was only playing with time," the letter asserted.

"It is strange that until today as we write this letter, the estranged Omanhene's (Richard Hagan) supposed Traditional Council is still functioning alongside the legitimate traditional council headed by the acting President Nana Opoku Akwaa II," the council said.

They also bemoaned the attitude of the Central Regional police saying, "it does not augur well-for the well being of the community. They further challenged the Central Regional police administration to deny knowledge surrounding the truth in the chieftaincy dispute in the area.

The Ebow Mbeah family also blamed the Central Regional House of Chiefs for shying away from the responsibility of honestly determining which of the two factions is the legitimate occupant of the stool.