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General News of Saturday, 22 February 2020

Source: theheraldghana.com

Chiefs drag MP, DCE, NPP chair before deities & rivers

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Member of Parliament (MP) for Berekum East, Dr. Twum Nuamah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Kofi Agyei and Berekum East Constituency Chairmanof the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwaku Kankam, have incurred the wrath of the divisional chiefs, queenmother and the elders of Berekum Traditional Council in the Bono region, following their alleged involvement in the arrest of the Omanhene, Dasebre Dr. Amankona Diawuo II.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) members, have since been summoned before the over 30 deities and rivers of the town. The Herald, gathered that the chief was arrested for ordering the demolishing of a dilapidated toilet facility in October 2019 to pave way for the construction of an ultra-modern one by indigenes of Berekum, domicile both home and abroad.

Tension, has since last year been brewing after a clash between NPP Executive and the Berekuman Citizens Association (BCA) over the toilet demolition, resulting in the assault of the Operations Manager for the Association, Ali Mohammed.

Mohammed at the time observed that, the NPP Executives’ anger was simply because they normally use proceeds from the toilet to run their party activities such as funerals, birthday parties, weddings among others, involving their party members.

“The Berekum East NPP Executive, does not account to anybody, including the chiefs and people on the proceeds they make from the toilet. They take everything away for their personal use and this development accounted for the reason why the Traditional Council, decided to demolish the toilet this Sunday morning,” he revealed.

However, the MP, DCE and Constituency Chairman, still appear not happy with the chief’s decision to arrogate powers to himself without recourse to them, and to show the Omanhene, where power lies, they caused his arrest.

But the queen mother, Nana Akosua Biahene, will have none of that disrespect, as she has furiously reacted to the incarceration of Nana Amankona Diawuo II, without going to court or seeking redress from higher government officials, but going before the gods to intervene.

A video by Kofi TV that has gone viral on social media, Nana Akosua Biahene, who at a point was gasping for breath said, but for democracy and civilization, the arrest of the Omanhene, would have triggered war but said, they have opted for peace, but are summoning the two before the gods to deal with them.

The peeved traditional ruler, surrounded by some elders, rained curses on the three politicians, asking the deities in Berekum to deal ruthlessly with them for ridiculing, disrespecting and engaging in what they describe as an “abomination”.

“I have never heard this anywhere in my entire life, I have not seen this before. This town was established before all the parties. I will not collapse the building so you take me to court. I will summon you to the spiritual world. I am calling on our gods, anybody who comes here and he is not permitted by us and to build it [toilet], our gods, all the 30 deities and rivers around this town should deal with him.

Clad in red and black mourning cloths and holding two bottles of schnapps surrounded by some sub-chiefs and other subjects of the stool, Nana Akosua Biahene, in a very agitated mood, poured libation as she narrated all that happened leading to the arrest of the Omanhene, until the two bottles of schnapps were emptied. She smashed the two empty bottles on the ground breaking them into pieces.

She insisted the arrest of the Omanhene by the Police, was unheard of, hence the gods must teach them a bitter lesson and have them acknowledge an incontrovertible fact that, they superintendent over lands.

The queen mother alleged, the two NPP bigwigs, have resorted to social media sites, Whatsapp and Facebook, claiming there is no chief in Berekum, adding “If the two want to lord over us and usurp our authority, question our place in Berekum simply because they are in power, then we shall show them where power lies”, she angrily said.

Nana Akosua Biahene, charged “…today, I am here saying that if you say there is no chief in this town, then I have removed you, there is no DCE, there is no MP. Kofi Agyei and his MP, Kankam I have removed them”.

She continued “this town, anyone who spends its money without recourse to us, I leave that person to the gods” adding “If Nananom can’t collapse the toilet, the land belongs to Nananom and so we shall do what pleases us by summoning you to the gods”, sarcastically she continued “It is true there is no Nana, you don’t regard anyone, I will let you know that, there is Nana here, will let you know that, there is power in this town”.

According to her, if the contention of the politicians is that there is no chief in Berekum, “then there is no MP, there is no DCE”.

While declaring them persona nongrata, she criticized the unplanned nature of Berekum, saying the authorities have incompetently sat down unconcerned, while shops and kiosks spring up without any direction or plan. She said, the town is so shabbily designed that it will be difficult for the Fire Service to save lives and properties when there is fire outbreak.

“Those in charge of this town don’t respect. See the kiosks that have spangled up all over. If there is fire outbreak in my house, how can the fire service come all the way? According to her,Kankam has admitted that proceeds from the toilet facility is being used to fund the NPP.

“You have all claimed that it is funds from this toilet that funds your party. You said you take 8million from the two toilets. Yes, I am the one saying it I am not afraid. If that is the case then, which fund should be used to develop Berekum”, She said amidst support from the subjects.

Berekum is the stronghold of the governing party, as they are represented in Parliament. by Dr Twum Kwabena Nuamah and Kweku Agyenim-Boateng for the Berekum East and West constituencies respectively.