Nii Odai Ntow family heads distance themselves from queenmother's attacks on government

Accreditors Principal elders of Nii Odai Ntow family at a press conference at their land management office at Kwabenya have advised the Government and citizens to desist from engaging with Naa Korkoi Dugbartey II, Queenmother of Nii Abbey family a subfamily of NII Odai NTOW family about their family lands at Kwabenya, Ashongman and Agbogba.

According to Mr Joshua Odai Ama`, Secretary of the Council of Elders and Head of the Ashong Dzemawon family, their lands are family lands and not stool lands, hence, no chief or queenmother has authority over them.

He emphasized, "We, therefore, distance ourselves and family from the attacks she meted out on His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and advise that the law should take it due course."

He acknowledged that the queenmother is a member of their family, but, "she has not been authorised by the Council of Elders to engage land buyers or Government and other development stakeholders on behalf of the family," he warned.

Mr Odai Ama` who delivered the speech on behalf of the family heads said, "any family member (including chiefs or queen mothers) seeking a parcel of land does so by making a request to the elders of the family for consideration. Management of our lands and granting of same is governed by the 1980 judgement entitled 'Peter Mensah Anteh Vs Simon Aryeetey Gator aka Small Okine and Emmanuel Odenkey Abbey, Suit No. Lĺ.554/78' and the 2011 judgement entitled 'Nuumo George Ankonu Adjin Tettey Vs Nii Aryee Annang and Seven Others'."

"That is why anybody dealing with a chief, queenmother or any other family member apart from the elders and the Land Management Secretariate at Kwabenya are doing so at their own risk," he explained.

He bemoaned how the queenmother is greedily selling their lands and employing landguards to undertake nefarious activities on the lands and indiscriminately given lands to land guards, also advised all dealing with her to stop immediately.

Nii Odaw Ntow family is a composite family of four per the 1980 judgement, "Peter Mensah Anteh Vs Simeon Aryeetey aka Small Okine and Emmanuel Odenkey Abbey, Suit No. L.554/78.

They include Tetteh Afrimie Family headed by Moses Tawiah Aryee, the Chairman of the Council of Elders; Asong Djemawon Family headed by Joshua Odai Ama`, Secretary of the Council of Elders; Ante Kwakonam Family headed by Ebenezer Anteh, Principal Member of the Council of Elders; and, Nii Abbey We Family headed by Eric Aryee Mensah, Principal Member, Council of Elders.

These elders, according to the family heads, form the Land Management Committee of the family that operates at their Land Secretariate at Kwabenya in Accra.