The Chief of Abetifi in the of Kwahu Traditional Area, Nana Asiedu Agyemang, has paid glowing tribute to the Chief of Kwahu Nkwatia, Nana Boamah Ayiripe III, for installing development-oriented persons as sub-chiefs.
The Abetifi Chief, who doubles as the Adontenghene of the Kwahu Traditional Area, described his colleague Chief of Nkwatia as a visionary traditional leader worthy of emulation. Nana Asiedu Agyemang made the pronouncement during the commissioning of an ultra-modern Kwahu Nkwatia Circuit Court Complex, funded by Nana Owiredu Wadie I, Development Chief of Kwahu Nkwatia, with support from his family.
The commission was in fulfilment of a promise by Nana Owiredu Wadie I, who is also the Founder of the Kabaka Foundation, to ensure access to justice for his people.
The ceremony further commemorated the first anniversary of his enstoolment as Nkosuohene of Kwahu Nkwatia. The idea for the construction of this court house came upon the realisation that the entire Kwahu East District had only a Magistrate Court that needed a Circuit Court or a High Court in the jurisdiction.
The installation of Nana Owiredu Wadie I, as Nkosuohene, has seen Kwahu Nkwatia challenging the other Kwahu towns with enviable projects such as an ultra-modern police barracks, a police divisional station, and the refurbishment of some schools among others.
The respected Adontenghene congratulated Nana Boamah Ayiripe III for the wise decision, consideration, and various steps to bring various developments and interventions to Nkwatia.
The Adontenghene appealed to the Chief Justice, through his representative, His Lordship Justice Agyei Frimpong, an Appeal Court Judge, to elevate the status of the Circuit Court Complex to a High Court.
This is because the construction and commissioning of the Kwahu Circuit Court Complex was unprecedented and added to the ongoing investment in judiciary infrastructure by the government.
In a speech read by His Lordship Richard Adjei Frimpong on behalf of the Chief Justice (CJ), Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, he appealed to the traditional rulers to desist from addressing criminal matters in their palaces.
According to the CJ, it would be proper to allow the full rigors of the law to apply when people were found culpable, rather than reducing the palaces to courts in addressing criminal matters.
The CJ urged all Ghanaians to have confidence in the court process and make good use of the facility by referring all criminal cases to them, which are national assets and therefore must be cherished, protected and maintained appropriately for posterity.
Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah stated that the bold initiative by Nana was not only a demonstration of support to the Judicial Service to enable it live up to to it mandate, it was also an act of patriotism which must be emulated by all well-meaning Ghanaians.
He continued that “it bears emphasising that we have a collective responsibility to ensure that democracy thrives in this country; and this cannot happen without a well-resourced Judiciary, which is the bastion of the rule of law.”
Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah further stated: “It is our resolve as an institution to build a system of justice that assures our countrymen of efficient, timely and quality justice delivery, and the court we are inaugurating today definitely meets the standards of utility and modernity; it also addresses our quest to deal with the lack and the distressingly poor state of our physical infrastructure which have over the years militate against the effective operation of the courts generally, and rendered our services to the people of Ghana sometimes ineffectual.”
He thanked the Kwahu chiefs for their support and advice, and further called on all the people of Kwahu to come together to create a safe and prosperous future for Kwahu, since only by working together could they overcome the challenges that stand in the way of development.
Nana Boamah Ayiripe III, who was glad with the project, said Nana Owiredu Wadie I, over the years, had championed development in the Kwahu area, and Ghana as a whole, therefore, he needed to be commended for his immense contribution.
He finally re-echoed the position of the Adontenghene that the Circuit Court be converted to a High Court in due time for them.
