Akwamu Chiefs Demand Apology From Deputy Minister

The Chiefs of Akwamu Traditional Area in the Eastern Region have called on the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Captain Nkrabea Effa-Dartey (rtd), to retract "insulting and disrespectful utterances," he made against them over the Juapong land, to avert a possible conflict in the area.

The Chiefs allege that tension has started brewing in the area following the Minister’s comments that Juapong is part of Duffor in the North Tongu District in the Volta Region.

According to them, Juapong is and remains an Akwamu land within the Akwamu Traditional area in the Eastern Region. They have therefore advised the Deputy Minister to be guided by history in his attempts to demarcate boundaries, since Juapong belongs to Akwamu.

''When the sitting of Juapong for district capital issue came up, we were expecting that the Deputy Minister would come to find out from the chiefs, because the land case is before the Stool Lands Boundaries Settlement Commission, therefore, his utterances are in contempt to the commission," they said.

The Chiefs were speaking at a press conference. It was addressed by Nana Okumanini Gyamerah IV, Twafohene of the area. Nana Gyamerah said there was no need for the Akwamus to revisit the 1982 Akradi incident where a large number of people lost their lives, stressing, "we are in peaceful era and Capt Effa-Dartey should stop making provocative statements in the print and electronic media that could prompt people to act."

Nana Gyamerah explained that Juapong lands were under the jurisdiction of Akwamu during which the settlers who were mostly Ewes, paid allegiance to the then chief, but the erstwhile SMC1 regime mistakenly placed it under Volta Region.

The Chiefs have therefore petitioned Stool Land Boundaries Settlement Commission where the case is still pending. "We, therefore, regard the Deputy Minister's assertion as unfortunate, tantamount to creating tension and confusion in the area." They therefore called for an urgent retraction and apology to diffuse the situation.

On January 14, the Daily Graphic quoted Capt Effa-Dartey, as describing as erroneous, the assertion by some elders of the Akwamu Traditional area that Juapong is part of the Eastern Region and not Duffor in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.