House of Chiefs President did not step down on own volition - Mbea

Ebusuapanyin Ebow Mbea of the Mankesim Nsona Paakesedo royal family has denied that Odeneho Gyapong Ababio President of the National House of Chiefs, stepped-down on his own volition from the Judicial Committee sitting on the Mankessim chieftaincy dispute.

Addressing a press conference at Mankessim at the weekend, Ebusuapanyin Mbea said Odeneho Ababio stepped down because of a motion he had filed on November 30, last year against his membership of the panel.

Reacting to a publication in an Accra weekly newspaper, Ebususpanyin Mbea denied the assertion by Odeneho Ababio that he had stepped-down before the petition and that he had instructed the registrar or the clerk to replace him.

Ebusuapanyin Mbea, leading a faction in the Mankessim chieftaincy dispute, is challenging the nomination and installation of Nana Edu the VI, also known as Richard Ebow Annan Hagan as Omanhene of the Mankessim traditional area.

He said Mr Ebow Dawson, counsel for Nana Edu's faction was the personal solicitor and counsel for Odeneho Ababio in a number of chieftaincy and criminal cases before the courts at Sekondi. "I can not imagine how justice can be done to my faction with Odeneho Ababio on the panel hearing our appeal," he asked.

Ebusuapanyin Mbea expressed the hope that the current political dispensation regarding government's strict adherence to the rule of law, "justice will be seen to be exhibited," in fulfilment of the aspirations of "positive change."