The Divisional Chief of Princess Town and a Member of the Council of State, Nana AkwanziAbraba IV, has brokered a peace deal involving the warring factions in the Western Regional House of Chiefs (WRHC).
This was after the Princess Town Chief who is known in private life as Eunice Jacqueline BuahAsomah took the initiative to bring peace amongst the feuding paramount chiefs who make up the WRHC.
The peace deal has brought to an end the leadership challenge and multiple legal suits that rocked the Regional House of Chiefs, following the disputed election held in November 2020.
Since the November 2020 disputed election that elected TetrettehOkuamoahSekyim III, Omanhene of Wassa Akropong as president of the House, there has been no peace until the intervention by the Council of the State member to unite the chiefs.
Information available to The Chronicle says Nana AkwanziAbraba IV, on Wednesday, last week, held a marathon meeting with nine out of the ten paramount chiefs at the Regional House of Chiefs Secretariat in Sekondi.
This paper gathered that after the meeting, which lasted for over three hours, the Council of State member was able to broker the peace deal.
Present at the meeting were Agyefi Kwame II, Omanhene of Nsein, AwulaeAttibrukusu III , Omanhene of Lower Axim, Awulae Annor Adjae III, Omanhene of Western Nzema and Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX, Omanhene of Lower Dixcove.
The rest are Obrempong Hima Dekyi, Omanhene of Upper Dixcove;Osabarima Kow Entsie, Omanhene of Mpohor;Angamatuo Gyan, Omanhene of Gwira; Nana Kobina Nketia IV, Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area and TetrettehOkuamoahSekyim, Omanhene of Wassa Akropong.
AwualeAmihereKpanyile, Omanhene of Eastern Nzema, could not make it to the meeting.
This paper is aware the Chiefs agreed to a proposal by the Council of State Member to cease fire and give peace a chance.
As a result, the chiefs agreed among themselves that Tetretteh Okuamoah Sekyim, whose disputed election as president culminated in the long standing litigation, should be allowed to go back to finish his term as president, until fresh election is held in November 2024.
Also, Angamatuo Gyan should in the same vein go back to his position as Vice President.
Awulae Agyefi Kwame II, Omanhene of Nsein Traditional Area, who confirmed the story, told this reporter that all the chiefs present agreed to give peace a chance, following the intervention by the Council of State Member.
According to him, the Chiefs also agreed that Nana Kwesi Agyemang, KowEntsie and Hima Dekyi should join the President and his Vice as their representatives at the National House of Chiefs (NHC).
Concerning legal matters, Agyefi Kwame told this reporter that, the meeting agreed the Council of State Member would take the initiative to have the pending court cases withdrawn.
LEGAL MATTERS THAT BROUGHT WRHC TO IT KNEES
A disputed election held on November 11, 2020 which elected TetretehOkuamoahSekyim asWestern Regional House of Chiefs’President was challenged by Awuale Amihere Kpanyileat a Sekondi High Court, presided over by Hannah Taylor, through a Certiorari application.
The Court declared the election null and void and called for fresh election.
Unsatisfied, Hima Dekyi andAngamatuo Gyan as plaintiffs, also challenged the decision of Hannah Taylor’s Court in declaring the election null and void.
The case travelled to the Appeal Court and then the Supreme Court, where the two withdrew their application.
The two plaintiffs later filed for a review of Hannah Taylor’s judgement at another Sekondi High Court, but this time presided over by Justice Dr. Richmond Osei Hwere.
He listened to the arguments and counter arguments from both the Petitioners and the Respondent in the full trial. The Court on January 19, 2022 upheld the election of the Vice President’s position and the five members elected to the NHC as valid.
However, the same court ruled for the election of the President of the House to be conducted afresh. After upholding the election of the vice president, Angamtuo Gyan,he was to act as president of the House.
But even before he could act and call for a meeting, AwulaeAttibrukusu III, KowEntsie and Kwesi Agyemang brought a fresh action against Angamatuo Gyan.
The three, who filed their suits separately, prayed the Court to restrain him (Angamatuo Gyan) from holding himself as acting president.
The Court, however, threw out the reliefs sought by the three Plaintiffs after they failed to convince the court.
CURRENT LEGAL CHALLENGE
Currently, Kwesi Agyemang, KowEntsie and AmihereKpanyilehave filed a fresh suit before a Sekondi High Court, praying it to dismiss the entire November 2020 election. Their reason is that the House did not form a quorum when the disputed election was held.
Evidence in the suit has been led and the court is expected to give judgement after it has resumed from the traditional legal vacation.
But for now, with the agreement reached by the warring chiefs to give peace a chance, the parties in the suit have agreed to instruct their lawyers to withdraw the case pending in Court.
Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX, Omanhene of Lower Dixcove and one of the parties in the suit told this reporter in a telephone interview that he has agreed to the settlement initiated by the Council of State Member, Eunice Buah.
For this reason, he is ready to instruct his lawyers to withdraw the case pending in Court.
To him, it is high time peace is given a chance for the House to function.
As a chief herself, Nana AkwanziAbraba knows the other side of litigation, a reason, according to the Lower Dixcove Omanhene, she intervened to settle the differences amongst the chiefs,because of the non-functioning of the House for close to four years.
Prior to the intervention by Nana Akwanzi Abraba IV, The Chronicle can report that the former Chieftaincy Minister, Ebenezer Kojo Kum, had taken the steps to unite the chiefs with a road map to restoring peace.
The roadmap was to make Amihere Kpanyile the President of the House and TetretehOkuamoahSekyim as Vice president.
Amihere Kpanyile would then nominate two members from his side and the Vice President would also nominate three members from his side to the NHC.
However, those from the camp of Tetretteh disagreed and this stalled the process.
Again, the current chieftaincy Minister, Asamoah Boateng, was expected to meet the members of the House last week, Thursday, to find ways of resolving the differences, only for Nana AkwanziAbraba, known in private life as Eunice Buah, to manage to broker peace amongst the warring chiefs.
That notwithstanding, Kwesi Agyemang told this reporter that he welcomed the initiative by Nana AkwanziAbraba and she deserved the commendation for ending the long standing dispute. “It is time the Western region House worked and Nana AkwanziAbraba deserves commendation for this success chalked”, he said.
Awuale Agyefi Kwame, on his part praised the Council of State Member for brokering peace amongst the chiefs.
To him, it is his prayer that such an unfortunate incident that led to the house not functioning would not happen again, “so that we can all forge ahead and fight for the development of the western region”.
NANA AKWANZI ABRABA IV
Nana AkwanziAbraba, on her part, told this paper that it is a great privilege by the paramount chiefs to respond to her call to find an amicable resolution to the dispute.
She said Nananom recognised the support she has provided to aid the advancement of the Western region, both in her capacity as a successful business woman and a member of the Council of State.
The development of the region is the main aim of the members of the WRHC, and they have demonstrated this by allowing their daughter (Nana AkwanziAbraba) to lead the way for the House to unite and progress in unity.
The Princess Town Divisional Chief, however, bemoaned the spate of chieftaincy disputes in the region and how it is has affected development.
Nana Akwanzi Abraba IV entreated Nananom and all stakeholders to work together to resolve pending chieftaincy disputes in the region, both at the divisional and paramount levels.
She further informed Nananom that she is always available to offer any support. She promised to continue to use her resources to promote the cause of the House.
Nana AkwanziAbraba asked that all stakeholders come together to help in the resolution of long standing disputes in Apatem, Shama, Sekondi,Wassa Fiase, Upper Axim and Ahanta.
She prayed earnestly that in no time the House can have the six paramount chiefs joining the existing ten for the Regional House of Chiefs to be fully functional.
