The Principal Elder of Ajumaku Dewurampong of Otokunoe We, the second ruling house of the James Town Stool in Accra, Nii Attoh Quarshie and Nii Sackey Akumia IV, Chief of Adanse are calling for an immediate withdrawal of all recognition and distoolment of Ezekiel QuarminaAllotey-Cofie who according to them parades himself as Oberempong Nii Kojo Ababio, paramount Chief of the James Town Stool.
Nii Attoh Quarshie, a veteran politician is challenging the legitimacy of Oberempong Nii Kojo Ababio IV as a claimant to the James Town stool and warned all government officials who facilitated his position to become the Chief of James Town and Ngleshie Alata.
He further warned officials of the Lands Commission, Chieftaincy Secretariat, Ga Traditional Council, National and the Regional House of Chiefs respectively to cease recognizing Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie as Oberempong of the James Town stool.
According to Nii Attoh Quarshie, Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie was in 1987 destooled by the then Dzaasetse NiiOkpo IV, the accredited Kingmaker of the James Town stool precisely Saturday 20th June 1987 as the Chief of James Town.
He said the James Town stool by an Executive Instrument (EI 57) of 1978 had James Town stool properties under seizure in 1974 with (EI 85) in the custody of the District Administrative Officer of Accra which was not revoked and until May 15, 1978, which had then been handed over to Nii Aryee Quaye IV a sub-Divisional Chief of Adedentam, James Town division of the Ga Traditional Area until it was finally revoked by the then Chairman of the Supreme Military Council and Commissioner responsible for Chieftaincy Affairs, General I. K. Acheampong.
Nii Attoh Quarshie further recalled that till date, after the revocation of the (EI 85) properties of the James Town stool which was handed over to Nii Aryee Quaye IV has not been officially handed over to the James Town stool and expressed wonder how Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie claims to have been enstooled as Chief of James Town.
He said, properties vested in the name of James Town have been illegally sold out by Ezekiel QuarminaAllotey-Cofie and some unscrupulous elders namely Dr. Nii ArmahTagoe (his in-law), Pastonic Nii Armah Hyde (Armah Rasta), Nii Atofo (Sadam).
He lamented that properties vested in the hands of the James Town stool such as Major and Co., Plaza Cinema Hall, Royal Gulf Club, Old Piccadilly building, China Railways near the Korle Lagoon, some properties used by Churches and the final disposal site of human waste near the Korle Lagoon beach known as the Lavender Hill have been sold to an Estate developer.
In a letter dated 11th September 2013 signed by Nii SackeyAkumia IV Chief of Adanse, first ruling house of the James Town stool, copied to the Inspector General of Police, Interior Ministry, National Security and the BNI requesting them to deal drastically with Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie and his perpetrators who are selling the James Town stool properties.
They reiterated that the self-styled Oberempong KojoAbabio has issued power of Attorney to some sub-chiefs including Nii Ogbamey Ankonam I of Bortianor to sign documents in selling out Bortianor lands, a situation Nii Attoh Quarshie and Nii Sackey Akumia VI challenged as an act of conspiracy with some corrupt officials at the Lands Commission.
Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie’s action is clearly spelt out in a letter dated 24th December 2012 signed by him directing the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission at Cantonment to be selling lands on his behalf.
The Principal Elder and the Chief of Adanse have given a two week ultimatum to government and the National House of Chiefs to immediately withdraw the position of Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie as the so-called Oberempong Nii Kojo Ababio IV of James Town stool or they will forcibly destool him.
They noted that Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie is the son of the late W.C. Cofie of Sempe and the late Madam Dolphine Owoo of Owoomanof Accra and does not hail from any of the three major ruling houses of the James Town clan and that he was fraudulently and cunningly pushed to the throne.
