Sunyani Traditional Council reclaims University land

Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, Omanhene of Sunyani, on Tuesday stated that the land on which the University of Energy and Natural Resources is sited belongs to Sunyani Traditional Council and not Fiapre.

He was addressing a press conference at the Omanhene’s Palace at Asufufu, a suburb of Sunyani.

Flanked by the Queen-mother, Nana Yaa Nyamaa and divisional chiefs of the Council, the paramount chief produced documents to support his claim, which included a Sunyani Master Plan showing the geographical status of the regional capital since 1906.

The documents also included those signed by one Captain Fell and Mr. Cletus Apikebila Azangweo, then Ghana’s Archivist.

Nana Asor Nkrawiri stated that in 1906, representatives of the Colonial Government led by Captain Fell visited Sunyani and requested the traditional authorities for land to build a residential bungalow and other structures.

He said Nana Kwadwo Barnie, then chief of Sunyani, Nana Kwaku Kwarteng, linguist, as well as Nana Kofi Peprah, Nana Yaw Twene and others later met on the issue and in 1911 the necessary negotiations were completed by the chiefs and representatives of the colonial government on the acquisition of the land.

Nana Asor Nkrawiri said the plot of land on which the University of Energy and Natural Resources was sited, which the chief of Fiapre claimed as their's, was where the late Nana Barnie and his team gave to Captain Fell.

"The Forestry School was then known as Sunyani Forestry School and we wonder why the chief of Fiapre should now claim to own the same land on which the newly-created University is sited," he added.

An official letter confirming the release of the land in contention to the colonial government, prepared by Mr. Azangweo, the archivist, in 1928 was read at the press conference.

Nana Asor Nkrawiri explained the land occupied by the people of Fiapre was first acquired from the ancestors of Sunyani Traditional Council by a hunter some 100 years ago.

He said the Sunyani land had a boundary with Nsoatre, Ntotroso, Susuanso, Adrobaa, Odomase and other surrounding towns in the municipality, adding that the traditional council would soon meet the authorities of the Catholic University College of Fiapre on the issue.

The paramount chief stated that the Council noted moves by the chief of Fiapre to own that portion of land when the Catholic Church, led by the late Bishop Kwadwo Owusu of Sunyani, planned for the establishment of the Catholic University College.

"We could have raised hell about the clandestine moves by the Fiapre chief then but a second thought made us hold on since such litigation could have made the late Bishop and the Church to change their well-intended plans to site the tertiary institution in Sunyani", he added.

The Omanhene asked the media in Brong-Ahafo to take note of the revelation as to who owned the land and let it reflect in their reportage as some publications wrongly suggested the chief of Fiapre owned the land.**