Chief accuses DCE of meddling in chieftaincy, land matters

Wa, May 5, GNA - A chief has accused Mr. Robert Baka Wavei, the Sissala West District Chief Executive, of meddling in chieftaincy and land matters in recent times, thereby creating confusion and tension among the ethnic groups in the area.

The Gwollu Kuoru, Kuoro Kuri-Buktie Limann, Paramount Chief of the Gwollu Traditional Area, alleged that Mr. Wavei had alienated himself from members of the traditional authorities of the three paramountcies in the Sissala West District and had resorted to 93divide and rule tactics".

He said the 93divide and rule tactics" was breeding mistrust among chiefs in the three paramountcies who hitherto were relating cordially and happily with one another.

Kuoru Limann made these accusations at a press conference in Wa, said Mr. Wavei had been visiting individual chiefs of his choice and had refused to meet the chiefs as a traditional council as customary and tradition demands.

He said the District Chief Executive had refused to accept the chiefs' representative into the Sissala West District Assembly and replaced them with people of his choice contrary to the 30 per cent provision in the 1992 constitution.

The Gwollu Kuoru alleged that Mr. Wavei did not think it fit and proper to formally inform the chiefs of the paramountcy about the visit of President John Atta Mills so they could organise to receive him traditionally and customarily into Gwollu.

He said the District Chief Executive was interfering with a land dispute between the Buwa chiefs and Fielimoa people. His interference in the dispute had heightened tension between the hitherto friendly neighbours.

Kuoro Kuri-Buktie Limann alleged that Mr. Wavei had been going to the bush alone to collect cattle rates from alien Fulani herdsmen, creating suspicion of corruption and malfeasance in his operations. Mr. Wavei, in his response, said Kuoro Kuri-Buktie Limann had never appreciated all the efforts that he made for the two of them to co-operate for the rapid development of the district.

"Kuoru Limann has always accused me of what I am not for and I do not know what wrong I have done him", he said.

Mr. Wavei said but for him war would have broken out between the Sissala and Daagaba and that would not have been in the interest of anybody should land ownership spark off war between the two ethnic groups who had lived together in happiness and love for more than 60 years or so.

Mr. Wavei said it was a bit disturbing for the Nimoru people, who are Sissala, to have asked the Fielimoa people, who are Daagaba, not to cultivate the land for this coming farming season. He called for land reforms and modification in the district to help reduce agitations and litigations.

Mr Wavei suggested that the Nimoru people should treat the dispute with a human face and allow the Fielimoa people to return to their farms while efforts were made to resolve the dispute. "I am going round on peace mission to meet chiefs and opinion leaders to find amicable ways to resolve the dispute so that it does not escalate. I am not prepared to see Sissala and Daagaba go to war. I do not want war to be associated with my name or my administration as well as the government", Mr. Wavei said.

On the President John Atta Mills's visit to Gwollu, the DCE said he informed the Gwollu Kuoru about it and the President made a stop at Gwollu and visited Former President Hilla Limann's tomb. He said the Gwollu Kuoru who is the paramount chief of the area, was unable to convene a traditional council meeting and that had made him to resort to working with individual chiefs for the development of the district.

Mr. Wavei said when he was appointed as a DCE, he realised that revenue mobilisation in the assembly was very low hence his personal involvement in the mobilisation of revenue in the district. The assembly mobilised about 400 million Ghana cedis in 2008 and it improved to 800 million Ghana Cedis in 2009 and it further increased to 1.5 billion 2010 from local sources. "Yet we are unable to meet the development needs of the people. We need to work hard to move the development of the district forward and I appeal to the Gwollu Kuoru to partner the assembly to mobilise more revenue for the development of the area".