Before Asantehene Calls For The Removal Of A Minister ....

..... AND POLICE COMMANDER HE MUST FIRST DISTOOL OYOKOHENE AND THEREAFTER CALL THE POLICE TO ARREST HIM (OYOKOHENE).

The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is calling for the dismissal of Brong Ahafo regional minister and the regional police commander for accusing the two of being bias and unprofessional in their conduct culminating in needless clashes within the region.

The Brong Ahafo region has been in the news for the wrong reasons following clashes between two chiefs- the Tuobodom chief and that of Techiman of which the clashes were sparked by the arrest of the chief of Tuobodon Nana Baffuor Asare by bodyguards of the chief of Techiman, Oseadeayo Akumfi Ameyaw who later handed him over to the police.

Three people were said to have been died whilst two others sustained serious injuries.

The two chiefs have been engaged in a protracted turf war over whether the Tuobodom chief owes allegiance to the Asantehene or the Techiman chief.

After an emergency meeting of the Asanteman council, the Asantehene blamed Kwodwo Nyamekye Marfo, the Brong Ahafo regional minister as well as DCOP Seth Oteng for not being circumspect in their conduct and accused them of taking sides in the matter.

** Similar case has been brought before the Asantehene Otumfuo concerning Oyokohene’s Land guards and Macho men intimidating and killing natives, about stool land clashes but no action has since been taken by Otumfuo. RESIDENTS OF AKROFROM in Atwima Koforidua, Atwima Nwabiagya district of Ashanti are living in constant fear, as they are afraid of being killed or maimed at the least provocation by a land guard.

The land guard was hired by one of the parties in a local land dispute. The sordid situation is as a result of a bad blood between the Oyokohene, Nana Agyekum Kusi and the Odikro (caretaker chief) 42-year-old Nana Kwadwo Gyapong Adusa, alias Kwame Owusu, who was enstooled as the Odikro of Akrofuom on April 8, 1997, who claims his overlord (Oyokohene, who holds the lands in trust for the Asantehene) has suspended him from exercising his functions as Odikro.

The odikro complains that the Oyokohene has suspended him from exercising his functions as Odikro because he had dared to enquire about what percentage of proceeds generated from stool lands is due the Akrofuom stool, after the Golden Stool and the Oyokohene had had their share.

The Oyokohene, known in private life as David Kusi Collins, commonly known as DKC who ran the now defunct Doska Construction Company, is accused of hiring the "killer" (Land guard) in the person of one Kwaku Nkrumah, who has been armed to guard the stool lands and therefore terrorizing and meting out atrocities of different shades to the people.

Reports reaching The Chronicle indicate that Kwaku Nkrumah's duty is to 'shoot and kill' anybody who comes near the said stool lands without the express approval of the Oyokohene. Since 2000, about 3,500 plots of land are said to have been sold arbitrarily by the Oyokohene without the involvement of the Odikro.

The atrocities by Kwaku Nkrumah is said to be masterminded by the Oyokohene from whom he derives his powers and has reportedly caused the arrest of about 57 inhabitants, including the Odikro, for one reason or the other using the Buffalo Unit of the Police Service in Kumasi

. In the face of these developments, the Odikro conferred with his elders and consequently invoked the great of Oath of Asante (Ntamkese), on the Oyokohene to stop the wanton sale of stool lands for which he has already prepared site plan of the area for the Lands Commission at Nkawie, without recourse to the odikro and his elders.

On February 2, 2008, a patrol team instituted by the Odikro chanced upon Kwaku Nkrumah, who was providing protection for workers who were developing a parcel of the land ostensibly allocated by the Oyokohene. The people managed to seize the gun with registration number R113837 from him, but he has managed to get another one.

So far, one ACHEAMPONG AND AKOTO have been killed and three others including, one Kwadwo Fosu and Baffour Dabanka have been shot and maimed in connection with the stool lands by Nkrumah, yet the Akropong and Abuakwa police have not taken any concrete action based on formal complaints lodged with them to this effect.

The Abuakwa police are also keeping exhibits of human skeleton exhumed as a result of desecration of the royal cemetery by activities of the Oyokohene and his cohorts.

Sergeant Ohene of the Abuakwa Police CID, who is handling the case and keeping the skeleton in police custody, has continuously told The Chronicle that investigations are still underway.

Fresh complaints have been lodged with the Central police in Kumasi, following the shooting of Dabanka on April 7, 2008, by Nkrumah.

On April 9, 2008, the Chief Inspector of the Abuakwa police issued him (Dabanka) with a Police medical form for treatment. Dr. Collins Oteng of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), who diagnosed him and treated Dabanka, has since given Dabanka's medical statement to the Abuakwa police, which states that Dabanka had sustained injuries from being hit several times with the butt of a gun and assault.

Meanwhile, the Regional Crime Officer, ACP Bright Oduro, has called for three dockets relating to the atrocities on the Akrofrom stool lands from the Abuakwa police for study and necessary action. He has also ordered the arrest of the all suspects in the said cases following the apathy of the Abuakwa police in pursing the complaints.

Kwaku Nkrumah a Land guard of Oyokohene is said to have drawn a hit list and has therefore targeted to "eliminate" seven more people suspected to be standing in the way of the Oyokohene in the sale of stool lands at Akrofrom a suburb of Atwima-Koforidua.

FRANCIS TAWIAH (Duisburg – Germany)