Yilo Paramount Chief unbending on threats to throw out Zongo settlers

Konor (Paramount Chief) of Yilo Klo State has reiterated threats to evict Zongo settlers from Somanya if the latter fails to recognize him as chief of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area.

Nene Oklepeme Nuer Anobaah Sasraku II who first threatened to evict settlers of the community during the durbar of chiefs and people of Yilo Krobo to climax the annual Kloyosikplemi festival in November, 2019 expressed his utmost displeasure at the failure of leaders of the Zongo settlers to seek audience with him to state their position on his comments.

He wondered why leaders of the Zongo community would rather prefer to “murmur around” on his threats instead of approaching, describing their complaints were misguided.

“It’s very unfortunate that a lot of reactions have followed my comments about the Zongo Community but if someone makes a comment about you and you disagree, you approach him for an explanation but not to go about talking anyhow,” he said. “They should approach me to explain whatever they did not understand about my comments to them because I did not speak out of the vacuum.”

Nene during the festival on 23rd November, 2019 accused the Zongo community of failing to recognize his title as paramount chief of Yilo Krobo on the basis that he is not gazetted.

“If you insist you want to see me gazetted (before recognizing me as a chief) then be in the know that you will leave this land the day I’m gazetted,” he said to rapturous applause from well-wishers. “Because if you don’t respect me today, there’s no other day you will respect me. If you don’t know me today, I don’t want you to know me tomorrow.”

The chief reacting to the alleged disloyalty, accused the community of ingratitude after a previous Konor granted them a place to settle in Somanya and threatened to evict settlers of the Zongo community for their posture.

“Their current place of settlement was given them by the chiefs but they now decide not to work with the current Kornor,” said the chief. “So if after a while I don’t see them in the palace and we rise against them to claim our land, they shouldn’t call us wicked people, the police should not interfere.”

The Paramount Chief, meanwhile, called on the MCE of the area, Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor to step in and call the Zongo community to order.

The chief who dismissed the assertions of the Zongo community not to recognize his title as Konor because he is not gazette referred them to the chieftaincy act which according to him, does not validate the legitimacy of a chief or otherwise.

“They should go read the chieftaincy Act and check which part of the act makes someone a chief. Gazetting does not make somebody a chief,” he said.

“They should go for the chieftaincy Act and find out what makes someone a chief.”

He wondered why the Zongo community would base their argument on the fact of his gazetting especially when they recognize their Zongo chief who has not been gazetted.

“Who has gazetted their Zongo chief? Nobody has gazetted him but they recognize him as their chief. So why are they requesting that another person be gazetted before they recognize him as chief?” he wondered.

Nene Oklepeme Nuer Anobaah Sasraku II who was of the view that he is not requesting for personal recognition from anyone, however said settlers of any community must pay allegiance to the throne and not him as a person.

“It’s not about me as a person. It’s about the throne governing the State so you respect the throne, you don’t show disrespect to the throne especially when you’re a settler in someone’s community when it’s someone who offered you somewhere to stay,” he said.

The Chief who equally maintained allegations of disrespect among others against the Municipal Chief Executive, Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor said results of the December assembly elections should serve as wake up call for MCE and political leadership.

“They saw the results of the assembly elections held in December, 2019 which should send a strong signal that some of us do not just get up and speak, we know what we are saying,” the traditional leader cautioned, adding that he spoke on behalf of the people on their concerns and worries.

According to him, it’s the responsibility of traditional leaders to ensure that political officials live up to their political responsibilities.

Nene Anorbaah who demonstrated his readiness to work with all political parties said he’s ready to give advice to all parties if they call on him for his advice.