Krobo Chief fines NPP 3 Sheep

DAILY GUIDE has gathered that the Manya Krobo Traditional Council in the Eastern Region on Monday summoned the NPP constituency executives of both Lower and Upper Manya Krobo to a meeting at the Konor’s Palace at Odumase Krobo ostensibly to register their displeasure at a joint press conference the party held on January 7, 2015 to register its disapproval of a statement allegedly made by a chief of the council.

The Konor of Manya Krobo was said to have said that “the people of Manya Krobo will vote for the ruling NDC all the time.”

According to the chiefs, it was out of order for the NPP to demand that the Konor, Nene Sakitte II, “come out and explain his action or render an unqualified apology to the people of Manya Krobo” for making that statement.

Nene Sakitte, Paramount Chief of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, in December last year assured President John Mahama that his people would forever vote for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Nene Sakitte declared his support for the president’s second term bid when he was speaking at the inauguration of the Kpong Water project.

“I hope that your stay over here will be fruitful. We here in Manya Krobo care about you so much; we care about your government; we will vote for you all the time,” Nene Sakitte allegedly pledged.

The Konor disclosed that he and his people had decided to support the NDC so that the party could fully implement its ‘Better Ghana’ agenda.

Due to this public declaration of support for President Mahama by the chief, the NPP executives of both Lower and Upper Manya Krobo held a joint press conference and called on the chief to come out and render an apology for making that statement, pointing out that per the Constitution of Ghana, a paramount chief isn’t allowed to engage in active politics.

DAILY GUIDE’s sources indicated that last Friday the traditional council, in a letter, summoned the NPP executives to appear before them on Monday to defend their request for an unqualified apology from the chief.

The traditional council, comprising Nene Agbau III, Nene Asada Ahor, Akuse Mantse and a few elders, called on the NPP executives to render an apology but they refused.

The chiefs and elders then went into consultation and on their return pronounced their verdict: “The NPP has been found guilty and should pay three live sheep and six bottles of foreign schnapps as a fine.”

However, the verdict, this paper has learnt, angered the Manya Krobo NPP executives, who have since stood firm and refused to pay the fine, claiming that it was their constitutional right to hold a press conference to express their grievances, clear the air and set records straight.

The NPP executives believed that they did not insult or attack anybody so they owed nobody an apology.

Sources said in an attempt by the chiefs to coerce them into accepting their “guilt”, there ensued some hot exchanges between the Acting President of the Council, Nene Agbau Narh III, Nene Asada Ahor and some of the NPP executives who stood their grounds and stated clearly that no one could cow them to render any apology for an offence they had not committed.

The NPP executives advised the chiefs to take on the press they claimed had misquoted the Konor rather than venting their anger on the NPP.

DAILY GUIDE’s sources confirmed that the NPP executives went further to caution that the statement made by the Konor on 23rd December, 2014 was the second time the Konor had shown bias towards the NPP.

They claimed that in the year 2000, then candidate J.A. Kufuor was refused entry into the Konor’s Palace by the Konor’s advisor, one Batsa (who was present at the meeting), who they identified as an NDC kingpin in the area.

In a chat with this paper, the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency Secretary stated that Konor refused to grant audience to Mr J.A. Kufuor but weeks later he granted audience to then candidate J.E.A Mills in the same palace, adding that this they believe was unfortunate.

The Krobo Chief, DAILY GUIDE has gathered, is currently on a trip in the United States of America, having left last year after the President’s visit to the area. It was alleged that he was the one who ordered the sub-chiefs to summon the NPP executives.

During the meeting Nene Asada Ahor, the Manya Krobo Traditional Council PRO, reportedly stated that while their chief was in America, he read online that DAILY GUIDE had stated in its publication that he had declared support for the NDC. He added that they were subsequently instructed by the chief to buy a copy of the paper and read what had been published.

DAILY GUIDE’s sources indicated that prior to the summon one Walter, the NDC Constituency Chairman for Odumase Krobo, during a Political Talks Show on KW Radio, a local radio station at Kpong, stated categorically that “the Manya Traditional Council must summon the NPP before them and fine them to pay seven live sheep, seven bottles of schnapps and seven bales of calico.” As a result, the sources said the NPP executives saw the chief's verdict as an attempt to do the bidding of the NDC chairman.