The Chief of Ayanfuri in the Central region, Odeneho Kwasi Peprah II, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to investigate a suspected malfeasance in the collection, disbursement and payment of mineral royalties, in respect of Ayanfuri stool land.
He said the 25% mineral royalties accruing from mining operations of Perseus Mining Company at Ayanfuri have not been paid over the years.
According to him, several demands to the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, which is mandated by Article 267 (2) of the 1992 Constitution to collect and disburse all rents, dues, royalties, revenues and payments of income and capital from stool lands, to furnish him with a statement of account of accumulated revenue from mining operations have not yielded any positive result.
The petition, dated January 21, 2024 follows a request made per a letter dated September 18, 2023 to the Regional officer of the Administrator of Stool lands in Cape Coast and copied to Administrator of Stool Lands, President and Registrar of the National House of Chiefs, Acting President of the Denkyira Traditional Council, the Divisional Police Commander, Dunkwa and the District Chief Executive of Upper Denkyira West Assembly.
The Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands has still not obliged with the request of the Ayanfuri chief five months after he demanded a statement of accounts of all revenues accrued from mining at Ayanfuri and payment of accumulated mineral royalties to the Ayanfuri stool.
The petitioner complained further that not even a reminder, dated November 23, 2023 to the Regional officer of the Administrator of Stool lands at Cape Coast to prove the honesty and Integrity of the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands has provoked a response and action.
Nana Kwasi Peprah emphasised that the inability of The Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to provide him with a statement of accounts is a breach of the Right to Information Act.
Nana Kwasi Peprah, claims he has the authority to function as the legally recognised chief of Ayanfuri, hence the demand for such payments to enable him initiate development projects at Ayanfuri.
The basis of his request is two High Court decisions of December 22, 1989 and May 5, 1990 which he claims have not been set aside on appeal.
On December 22, 1989 a Cape Coast High Court, presided over by Justice J. A. Kpegah, quashed the decision of the Denkyira Traditional Council destooling Nana Peprah.
The court also prohibited the Traditional Council from denying Nana Peprah his seat in the Traditional Council.
On May 5, 1990, His Lordship Justice A.A. Benin, presiding, also disallowed an application for stay of execution and awarded a cost of GHc3,000 for the applicant/respondent (Nana Peprah).
Despite these two decisions, the Denkyira Traditional Council claims the Ayanfuri stool is vacant even though Nana Peprah’s kingmakers, from whom he derives his authority, have not destooled him judicially.
He further explained that Section 40 (2) of the Chieftaincy Act (2008) Act 759 provides that “a Traditional Council shall not declare a chief liable to be deposed without judicial process”.
The Ayanfurihene noted that the inability of the office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to account and furnish him as a beneficiary with statement of account and payments of mineral royalties over time raises serious malfeasance in the collection, disbursement of mineral royalties and called on the IGP to use his good offices to cause immediate investigations into the Perseus Mining Company on Ayanfuri Stool land.
