A festering chieftaincy dispute between two paramount stools in Western Region has escalated sharply, raising fears of violence if urgent intervention is not secured.
At the centre of the impasse are the Paramount Chief of Nsein, Awulae Agyefi Kwame, and the Paramount Chief of Lower Axim, Awulae Attibrukusu, whose jurisdictions share a boundary within the Nzema area. What began as a legal disagreement over the naming of a traditional council has spiralled into a volatile standoff, with both sides trading claims in court and in public.
Tensions peaked last Thursday when Awulae Agyefi Kwame, addressing a news conference at his palace, issued a three-month ultimatum to his Lower Axim counterpart and his subjects to vacate what he described as Nsein land. The ultimatum, which expires at the end of June, bars the people of Axim from undertaking traditional activities—such as funerals or the installation of chiefs—without his consent thereafter.
“This is not a joke. This is a national security issue. Awulae Attibrukusu and his people have three months to move out of my land. The President must intervene,” he declared.
Clad in red and flanked by sub-chiefs, the Nsein Omanhene traced what he said were historical records proving that his forebears founded the land currently occupied by Lower Axim. He accused the Axim stool of subjecting Nsein to nearly six decades of “frivolous court litigation,” describing the latest dispute over the council’s name as “the last straw.”
The controversy centres on the rebranding of the Nsein Traditional Council to “Lower Town Axim and Nsein Traditional Council”—a move fiercely contested by Awulae Attibrukusu.
In a suit before the Sekondi High Court, the Lower Axim chief, as plaintiff, argued that Nsein and Lower Axim are distinct traditional areas with separate councils, and that the new name lacks legal recognition under Ghanaian law.
He further contended that its use has created confusion among the public and institutions, with the potential to disturb peace in both areas. According to court filings, the plaintiff said he had repeatedly protested the use of the name and demanded its withdrawal, but to no avail—prompting legal action.
The defendants, led by Awulae Agyefi Kwame, rejected the claims in a detailed response. They maintained that the name change was lawful, duly registered as a company limited by guarantee at the Registrar-General’s Department, and subsequently published in the official government gazette without objection.
They argued that the plaintiff’s action was “frivolous and vexatious” and not sustainable in law.
Before the substantive case could be heard, the plaintiff sought to strike out the defence, claiming it disclosed no reasonable answer. He also asked the court to declare that no legally recognised entity exists under the name “Lower Town Axim and Nsein Traditional Council,” and to restrain the defendants from using it in any official or private capacity.
However, the Sekondi High Court, presided over by Justice Amos Wuntah, dismissed the application for an injunction, stating that the matter should proceed to full trial. “The doors of justice must remain open,” the court held.
Dissatisfied, the plaintiff appealed. But in a unanimous decision, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal—Justices Yaa Onyameye Gyakobo, S. Rosetta Bernasko Essah, and Christopher Archer—upheld the High Court’s ruling, finding no basis to interfere with the trial judge’s discretion.
“The appeal is without merit,” the court ruled, affirming the earlier decision and awarding GH¢10,000 in costs against the appellant. The case was subsequently remitted to the High Court for continuation. Observers believe the appellate ruling may have emboldened Awulae Agyefi Kwame’s stance, culminating in his ultimatum and claims of victory over the disputed name.
With rhetoric hardening and deadlines set, residents in both traditional areas now watch anxiously as a legal dispute edges closer to a potential communal crisis—underscoring the urgent need for mediation at the highest level.
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