The aim of the government to construct access roads at the Jaman District capital, Drobo may not come to fruition, due to the looming danger surrounding the project.
The original owners of the land, Mpausu/ Japekrom are resisting any attempt to construct the roads for a reason that the name of the roads be changed to reflect the twin-towns of Japekrom and Drobo.
The chiefs and people of Japekron have vowed to crash any person or group of persons who would dare to put constructional equipment on the access roads for construction work to begin.
The Chronicle investigation revealed that the Mpausu/Japekrom Traditional Council (MJTC) had proposed to the Jaman District assembly to have the name change from original name "Drobo Township roads to Japekrom/ Drobo township roads.
One of the chiefs who spoke to The Chronicle said that where the proposed Drobo township roads are earmarked for the construction of the access roads belongs to them and as such, they would not allow any further cheat from whether the Drobo chief or the government.
According to the chief, the place was allocated to the Drobo people when they came from their home town, Old Drobo some years back to settle there.
He further stated that when they finally settled, they named the place New Drobo, but eventually changed the name to Drobo.
The Japekrom people said "we are not against the development, but what we want is a fair deal in the whole project".
When this reporter visited where the access roads are to be constructed, he sighted only surveyors who had cleared some straight lines waiting for the real construction to take place. In all, eleven access roads are earmarked for construction.
But the question people continue to ask is that is it the only place where the government is prepared for the development? Other roads in the district, according to insiders, are in a very deplorable state and need urgent development. One of such roads is the Drobo-Sampa road, Kwame-siekrom including a host of others.
In a press release issued by the Japekrom Traditional council, the youth and the women group stated that the root cause of the looming danger on the construction of the roads is who owns the vast lands where the access roads are to be constructed.
According to the release, there had been a long standing dispute over the lands at New Drobo stool and Japekrom.
It further revealed that in the year 2000, disturbances erupted between the two traditional areas, leading to a gun battle.
The release signed by the acting president of the MJTC, Nana Ampaabeng Kyremeh, and the queenmother for the area stated that lands given to farmers to farm by the MJTC were forcibly taken away from them by the 'Drobohene' and sold to people for building projects without paying any compensation to the Japekrom stool, original owners of the land. The Japekrom people in the release emphasized that they felt cheated and deprived of their stool lands unjustifiably.
As quoted in the release "over the years, the Japekrom stool has, without a shred of doubt, granted portions of stool lands for projects at New Drobo township". Such projects listed in the release include the courthouse, the Drobo chief's palace, the Drobo Secondary school, St. Mary's Hospital at Drobo, the Jaman District Assembly block, the DCE's residence and the agricultural extension offices, also at Drobo.
The Japekrom people blamed the Brong Ahafo regional minister, Nana Kwadwo Seinti, for openly threatening that despite law suits between the two traditional areas the construction of the access roads would still go on.
A letter to the President, J.A. Kufour, written by the MJTC titled "petition against acts of threats and intimidation by the regional minister for Brong Ahafo", described the minister as an alien to the NPP tradition of development. They accused the minister of taking sides on the issue.
When The Chronicle contacted the minister, he assured that since he is concerned, the project would take place. The minister said there is a time limit on the project and if they delayed, it would be taken away.
Nana Seinti stressed that after their litigation, whoever wins becomes the beneficiary of the projects.
He told The Chronicle that the REGSEC had explained the importance of the project and the need for peace in the area to enable the projects to take off smoothly.
He disclosed that the REGSEC had ordered the Jaman District Assembly to find a suitable name for the project. Nana Seinti said they came out with the name 'Jaman District Township Roads', but the people of Japekrom still maintain that the proposed name be changed to Japekrom/Drobo township roads.
