There is no unending chieftaincy feud in Wenchi--Chief

Accra, Feb. 20, GNA - The Wenchi Traditional Council (WTC) on Thursday made it clear that there was "no unending chieftaincy feud that has bedevilled the area." In a statement issued on behalf of the Council on Thursday, and signed by Nana Owusu-Ansah Kokroko, Krontihene of Wenchi, in reaction to a story in the February 17 issue of the Daily Graphic captioned: "Wenchi Queen Appeals To Police Service", the WTC said it learnt with great concern Nana Toaa Sramangyedua's appeal to the Police Service "to help maintain law and order in the unending chieftaincy feud that has bedevilled the area."

The Council expressed dismay about the Queen's false claim to the Police that "certain individuals had taken advantage of the chieftaincy dispute to visit mayhem and inflict wounds on innocent and law-abiding citizens of the area." It noted with regret that after making her unsubstantiated appeal, Nana Sramangyedua went ahead and "donated two computers, accessories, and a printer valued at 3,000 Ghana Cedis to the Wenchi Divisional Police Headquarters," the donation which was in response to an appeal made by the Divisional Commander.

The Council described the Queen's statements and actions "very intriguing and deliberately calculated to paint the area black." "The statements are presumably an indictment on the Wenchi Divisional Police Command, since we know them as having made no arrests occasioned by a chieftaincy dispute in the Wenchi Traditional Area." The Council pointed out that it was indeed not aware that there had been any police prosecution involving any citizen of Wenchi in a chieftaincy dispute.

In as much as the WTC made it clear that it had no quarrel over the benevolence of the Queen in providing any gift to the Divisional Police, it said it was appalled at the false statements attributed to her when she made the donation at a time when there was relative peace at Wenchi. The WTC accused Nana Sramangyedua of having initiated a chieftaincy dispute about three years ago, which ended last year at the Judicial Committee of the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, with the dismissal of her suit, and her being ordered to hand over all stool regalia to the Gyaasehene and the new Omanhene. "The Council reminded Nana Sramangyedua that if the perceived chieftaincy dispute was still lingering on after her defeat, then it was simply because she had expressed "the usual intention to appeal against the dismissal of your suit, and your utter refusal to allow peace to reign in Wenchi.."

The WTC further reminded the Queen not only of the provocative nature of her actions and those of her few supporters, but also for being "against the spirit of reconciliation and peace." It found it rather ridiculous, strange, and for that matter, unacceptable, when being the perpetrator to vice and litigation, Nana Sramangyedua should go to the Police to complain while she gave donations. "The Wenchi Traditional Council has restrained itself from the falsehood and misinformation", statement said, and advised Nana Sramangyedua not to draw the Ghana Police Service into what it described as "a purely family and traditional misunderstanding."

The Council accused the Queen of paying no heed to advice, when in June last year, she wanted to nominate her sister's son for consideration as the Omanhene of Wenchi. It said when, in June 2008, the kingmakers suggested to her to present on their behalf her cousin's son, the Queen did not take the advice because she wanted to nominate her sister's son for consideration as the Omanhene of Wenchi, and therefore decided not to make any nomination at all. The Council stated that when Nana Sramangyedua was invited by the kingmakers to resolve the matter, she, on three occasions, blatantly failed to attend to their call, thereby breaching her own oath of office.

The WTC made it clear to the Queen that the incumbent chief in the person of Nana Abrefa Kwadwo Nketia the Seventh, "has been sworn into office by the Traditional council of Kingmakers and other relevant Divisional Chiefs, thus reminding her that the earlier she recognized it, and purged herself, the better.