Steven Yeboah fled Ghana in 2004 to Ireland because his life was in danger back in his home town Nsoatre in the Brong Ahafo region following a chieftaincy dispute that rocked the area.
Three people lost, Osofo, Anane and Kudjo, lost their lives in that dispute which has denied the area of a chief till date.
It would be recalled that somewhere in March, 2001, there was a misunderstanding as to who should be enthroned as the Nsoatrehene.The royal battle was between Professor Oppong Boachie and Nana Boadan Panin.Nana Boadan, who is not well educated, was of the view that his next of kin, his nephew, Steven Yeboah was most suitable to occupy the stool.
The decision was based on the argument that Yeboah, who was then a drugist,was youthful and was better educated and thus in better position to compete with the Professor.
That was where the trouble for young Yeboah began.
" Really, Yeboah was in a good position to ascend the throne", a source at Nsoatre told the Space FM in an interview.But the dream of young, energetic Yeboah becoming the chief of the area soon became a nightmare for him as some personalities who allegedly were supporters of the professor, threatened him with death.
"Fearing for his life, Yeboah had no option than to flee the country into exile", a family member told the Space FM.
Asked why Yeboah was threatened, the family source continued that “our son was a threat to the candidature of the professor and he would have emerged as the chief if laid down procedures were followed".
“Even as at now, he can not return and stay at any part of the country because of the dispute’, the source added."Yeboah missed the peak of Ghana's golden jubilee celebrationbecause there was no way he could come home", the source added.
Five years after the dispute erupted, the people of Nsoatre still have no chief and Yeboah still remains in exile in Ireland because he is still on the "wanted dead list' of his opponents.
An 85 year old man, Opanin Yaw Kra Oppong, told Space FM that "fifty years after Ghana 's independence should be a time for nananom to put their acts together for the betterment of the chieftaincy institution".
He continued that there are bound to be misunderstandings but nananom must resolve them maturely to maintain their dignity.
Meanwhile the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area and President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chief, Okatakyie Agyemang Kodum, has stressed the need for chiefs to see to the resolution of disputes in their areas to accelerate socio-economic developments.
