We need our Omanhene’s palace – Akuapem residents

A fall out of the Chieftaincy dispute that has affected the cultural and spiritual lives of the people of Akuapem is the unwarranted and prolonged occupation of the Okuapehene’s Palace by the security agencies.

As far back as the 24th of January 2018, National Security agents stormed the Okuapehene’s Palace on the basis of unfounded rumours that a cache of arms had been stockpiled in the palace by one of the factions in the Chieftaincy dispute.

The false informants that led to the dawn raid were never punished and the National Security still have a presence in the Okuapehene’s Palace.

As a follow up on the issues in Akropong Akuapem and recent Koforidua High Court judgements dismissing the injunction and contempt of Court, a number of ordinary people in Akropong are expressing deep worry about how the destruction of the Okuapehene’s palace by the national security agencies and their continuous occupation of the palace is a bother to the people and an affront to the Chieftaincy and culture of the people of Akuapem.

Majority of the people are concerned and angry that they have no access to their own palace especially when there is no evidence to support the allegation that the Okuapenhene’s palace is being used to stockpile arms. The people of Akropong openly express the sentiment that, they "need the palace because it has nothing to do with the dispute.”

The people are united in their position that the continuous occupation of the Okuapehene’s palace by security agencies is an insult to the people of Akuapem, and this would not have been tolerated by any other people.

The people express concern that they do not have access to the Palace for the performance of their traditional rituals on days such as Awukudae and Akwasidae.