Wa, Jan. 21, GNA - Three of the four royal gates to the Wa skin have said they would never recognize Mr Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo as Chief of Wa and called on the Upper West Regional and Wa Municipal Security committees to cooperate with the elders and kingmakers to amicably resolve the chieftaincy crisis in the town.
They assured the government and the public that they would never take arms to fight with anyone since fighting would not solve the problem but they would ensure that the right thing was done to ensure peace.
Gbeture-Naa Alhaji Issah Bukari, Head of the princes of the Wala Traditional Area, said this at a news conference at Wa on Saturday to throw light on the raging chieftaincy dispute at Wa following an announcement on Friday that a faction in the dispute has nominated Mr Pelpuo as chief of Wa.
Mr Pelpuo, a former employee of the defunct Omnibus Services Authority, is the senior brother of Mr Rashid Pelpuo, MP for Wa Central.
He said the chiefs and elders of the Jonnyuosi, Najeri and Yijisi royal clans, kingmakers of Wa together with the Foroko, who has the responsibility of crowning any elected Wa Naa, were not party to the purported nomination of Mr Pelpuo.
Naa Bukari said the Tendaana (land guardian) of Wa, Mr Mahama Bayon, has no authority under Wala customs and practice to convene a meeting to elect or install any Wa Naa.
Producing documents from the Supreme Court and the National Archives to support his claim, he said only the "Nabikpon" or Head of the Princes was vested with the power to convene a meeting to elect a chief and such a meeting was always chaired by the Busa Naa or regent of Busa.
He said when he was informed that the Tendaana and one Alhaji Mogtare (Yare Naa) were about to convene a meeting with the purpose of nominating a Wa Naa, he wrote to the Chairman of the Municipal Security Committee, clearly stating their position but the letter was ignored. Instead, he said, the Chairman of the Committee, who is also the Municipal Chief Executive, allowed the meeting to go ahead and to their surprise, heavily armed police and military personnel were deployed at the venue to give security cover while the ceremony went ahead. He accused the Tendaana of being mischievous by condoning with others to change the rules to suit selfish interests
"Wa chieftaincy was founded by our grand father in the mid 17th Century. Our traditions and practices have come a long way. We should be careful when dealing with traditional matters".
Naa Bukari declared the nomination of Mr Pelpuo null and void and therefore not binding on the people of the Wala Traditional Area. Naa Bukari maintained that at an earlier meeting of kingmakers on December 04 last year, Kuntulo Naa Issah Seidu was elected as the new Wa Naa to succeed Naa Seidu Yakubu Seidu Soale 11.
However, he said, the administrative authorities in the region refused to accept the validity of that election because the Nakpaaha, which is the fourth gate to the throne and the Tendaana, refused to attend the meeting because they knew they would be supported to impose their will on the people of the area.
After the death of Naa Soale 11 in September last year, the kingmakers fixed December 04 last year for the election of a new chief but at the last minute, the police refused to grant them permit and cordoned off the Nayiri, which is the chief's section of the town, with armed military and police personnel.
The Nakpaaha and the Tendaana refused an invitation to attend the meeting but the other five kingmakers met indoors and went ahead to elect Kuntulo Naa Issah Seidu as the new Wa Naa He was to have been inaugurated on January 27. President attends burial of late Fomena MP
Dompoase (Ash), Jan 21, GNA - The mortal remains of Mr Akwasi Afrifa, the Member of Parliament for Fomena, were on Saturday laid to rest at Kyeaboso near Dompoase in the Adansi North District. President John Agyekum Kufuor led a high-powered government delegation that included Vice President Aliu Mahama to attend the funeral.
The delegation included Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, the Defence Minister, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang, the Minister of Water Resources and Works and Housing, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Ernest Debrah, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, and Hajia Alima Mahama, Women and Children's Affairs Minister.
Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes, the Speaker of Parliament, also attended so also were some MPs as well as the leadership of NPP including the National Chairman, Mr Peter Mac-Manu.
Running through the numerous tributes at his burial service officiated by the Most Reverend Nuh Ben Abubekar the Methodist Bishop of Kumasi, was the acknowledgment of his sense of commitment and dedication to duty.
Parliament in its eulogy said "Honourable Afrifa goes to his Maker secure in the knowledge that he gave his all to the betterment of the Fomena Constituency, Parliament and his nation Ghana."
"It is our hope that his life and deeds would serve as encouragement for his constituents, colleague MPs and the staff in the parliamentary service at all times reach the top, no matter the obstacle."
There were other tributes from the Ministry of Information and the National Orientation, Ministry of Communication as well as friends. The late MP died in November 30 2006 at the 37 Military Hospital. He was first elected to Parliament in 2000 and retained the seat in 2004. 21 Jan 07
