Minister, DCE Blamed Over Decision to Split Kintampo

Following the government's decision to divide the Kintampo into two administrative districts, some traditional rulers from the Nkoranza traditional area have begun to point accusing fingers at their own son, Hon. Yaw Adjei Duffour, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, as being behind the division of Nkoranza stool lands to serve what they described as his selfish and parochial political ambition.

The chiefs also censured the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kintampo, Hon. James Kwabena Bomfeh, as a collaborator of the minister.

A petition, which is in the custody of the Chronicle, addressed to the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and signed by 11 chiefs, incriminated Mr. Duffour and his collaborator, both natives of the Kintampo district, that they are attempting to unilaterally divide the district to suit their diabolical plans, without regard to peace and the interest of the people in the area.

The petition further cited the deputy minister for engaging in a subtle and secret trade of involving Kintampo and Mos in exchange for his hometown, Jema, which has been proposed to be the district capital for the Kintampo South District.

They, therefore, warned that they would resist any attempt to divide or add an inch of Nkoranza land to any traditional area to form the Kintampo North district, which would be having its capital at Kintampo, the current district capital.

They, however, agreed that the creation of two separate districts for Kintampo would offer each of the traditional areas the opportunity to develop its resources independently.

But, when the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, met the stakeholders, including the chiefs of the two traditional areas, the event took a different dimension, as both the Mos and the Bonos agreed that Jema be made the capital for the proposed Kintampo South District.

The only problem now is which area of the Mos or the Bonos should be added to the south and the north districts.

Dr. Afari-Gyan, to solicit the ideas of the stakeholders, told the chiefs that the EC had developed two options for their consideration.

Under the first option, the Kintampo North district would be carved to include all towns and villages within the Mo land and that of the people along the Kintampo-Tamale road up north. The population in the proposed Kintampo North is 73,446.

Kintampo South, under the first option, shall comprise all villages and towns in the Nkoranza with a population of 70,327, Dr. Afari Gyan told the meeting.

The second option, he said, some towns, such as Ayawoya and Maase area on the Mo land, would go to the Kintampo South, while Kunsu and Apesika area of the Bonos would be added to the Kintampo North. Under the second option the population would be 75,073 and 71697 for the North and South respectively.

This brought a hot debate among the two traditional chiefs. Those from the Nkoranza traditional area opted for the second option, but the Mos maintained that the first option would be the best to avoid any future confusion between the two traditional councils.

The Bonos stated social integration between the two traditions as being their basis for the second option, but the Mos have seen the move of the Bonos as a ploy to win them into their fold for their selfish interest.