The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council and that of Akyem Kotoku have renewed the ‘war’ over the true owners of Adoagyiri, near Nsawam, in the Eastern Region.
The two traditional areas have once again called press conferences to level accusations and counter accusations against each other.
The Akyem Abuakwa, which was the first to fire the latest ‘missiles’ insisted at a news conference at Kyebi that Adoagyiri is part and parcel of Abuakwa and will continue to remain so.
The State Secretary at Ofori Panin Fie, Dan M. Ofori Atta, who addressed the media said Adoagyiri is a border town and entry point into the Akyem Abuakwa Kingdom from Accra, which is indicated by the Nsawam Bridge across the Densu River.
He explained that the area has since historical times been part of Akyem Abuakwa and falls directly under the Apapam stool, which is an integral part of the Amantuomiensa Group of the Akyem Abuakwa state.
He also argued that the land on which the capital of Kotoku State, Nsuaem, which subsequently became Akyem Oda is situated, was granted rent free to them by the Akyem Abuakwa and Adoagyiri. The latter cannot, therefore, be claimed by any settler community, whether Ga, Ewe, Krobo or Kotoku.
The State Secretary at Ofori Panin Fie continued that, “records indicate that all successive Adoagyiri Chiefs have been part of the Akyem Abuakwa State Council, inclusive in the records are evidence of land transactions”.
Mr. Ofori Atta demonstrated that the late chief of Adoagyiri, Barima Adu Kokor, who passed on in 2007 served the Ofori Panin Stool as the most dedicated and one of the longest reigning chiefs of Akyem Abuakwa, after he was installed in 1953 as Chief of Adoagyiri.”
Ofori Panin Fie further stated that, “the Kotoku citizens, just as other ethnic communities are settlers, granted usufructuary rights and have no allodia right to any land.
“It should be clearly understood that lands by Akan Tradition is the fundamental condition for the exercise of customary right, the two being intricately linked and inseparable and Okyenhene being the allodia owner of the land in Adoagyiri exercising exclusive customary authority”.
According to Ofori Panin Fie, “there are no records that establish that Adoagyiri is and has ever been part of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area.
“Adoagyiri is not contiguous with any of the lands of the Kotoku State, more than five towns of Akyem Abuakwa separate Adoagyiri from Akyem Kotoku lands”.
The Ofori Panin Fie said this is not the first time Akyem Kotoku State has attempted to lay dubious claim to Akyem Abuakwa lands.
“This situation reflects the growing crisis of land theft as the commercial demand of lands in the southern stretch of the Eastern region has sky-rocketed due to open ended Western expansion of Accra,” Nanamom said.
Nananom averred that Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has been confronted with similar provocative situations in the past few years and wish to indicate that it will be unable to tolerate such development within those areas.
The Abuakwa State explained that Okyeman is not prepared to secede an inch of its land or tolerate customary violations and wish to indicate that any such infringements will have consequences.
The chiefs stated clearly that there is no Chief of Adoagyiri at the present moment, adding that the general public and particularly land developers who deal with any imposter does so at his or her own risk.
According to the Akyem Abuakwa chiefs, His Majesty Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin has initiated measures for the selection and installation of a legitimate Chief for Adoagyiri.
Responding to the threat and intention of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council to enstool a new chief, Nkwantahene of Akyem Kotoku State, Nana Dwamena Akenteng, described the position of the former as laughable and child’s play.
According to him, the Akyem Kotoku State is resolved to resist any incursion, factionalism and insecurity in Adoagyiri lands and oppose any attempt to install a rival chief.
“This enterprise of the Okyehene is to legitimise his dark moves of trying to extend his control beyond his traditional borders which action, in the olden days, would have been the basis for starting a war”, he said.
In a counter press conference, the Nkwantahene of Akyem Kotoku State stated that the way is near, but men seek it afar. It is in easy things, but men seek for it in difficult things, adding that Adoagyiri has a substantive chief in the person of Nana Okonadwo Afutu Dompre II, who has been gazetted by the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs for the past seventeen years.
He explained that Adoagyirihene is head of the Ankobiahene Division of Kotoku Kingdom and has since 1860 paid homage to the Kotokuhene, hence it would be a disaster for the enstoolment of a rival chief who would pay homage to Okyenhene.
He has, therefore, called on the security services to call Okyenhene to stop his intention to install a rival chief in order to avert any mayhem, because they are solidly resolved to oppose any incursion.
