There is a Political/Chieftaincy dispute looming at Somanya in the Eastern Region, as the Regional First Vice chairman, of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Richard Twum Barima, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the General Legal Counsel to apply sanctions on Mr. Dennis Yao Terkpetey, aka Tukpe, a Police officer, a lawyer, and also a Divisional chief of the Yilo Krobo Traditional area for dragging his name into a chieftaincy dispute.
The Divisional Chief of Okper under the Yilo Krobo Traditional Council, Nene Nanekey Terkpertey Ofori Agor IX last weekend launched scathing allegations of interference against the Regional First Vice Chairman of NPP for engaging himself in a chieftaincy dispute in the area as well as instigating and leading acts of thuggery and attacks on opposing chieftaincy factions.
The Police officer also a chief addressing a presser cited various incidents alleging that Mr. Twum, once the mastermind behind an attack on the youth of Okperpiem on 15th November 2021 led to four persons being injured.
Nene Agor also alleged that the Regional First vice chairman some weeks ago sponsored some traditional leaders to invade Okperpiem where they attempted to install Asafoatse, Asafoatse Many, and some youth leaders within the enclave.
Nene Agor further threatened to organize a demonstration against the politician if he did not put a stop to his illegitimate activities in the Okper area.
Chairman Reactions
However, the Constituency of the New Patriotic Party in Yilo Klo, Alhaji Teye Abubakar in a press statement denied the allegations leveled against Mr. Twum Barimah by condemning the chief ethnocentric attack and his false accusations on the Regional First Vice Chairman.
According to the Constituency Chairman setting the records straight said ” Dr. Twum is a Krobo from Plau, born and bred in Yilo Klo, with his village being Klo Akwapem and Oluwahia in the Yilo Krobo municipality”.
The statement said “Mr. Twum is from “Plau Wetso” and not “Okpeh Watson,” so how can he be involved in the chieftaincy issues in Okpeh and Sra, adding that “As a police officer and a lawyer, we expect Dennis Yao Terkpetey, aka Tukpe, to follow due process by initiating legal processes to deal with all of the claims he is making, rather than defaming Dr. Twum’s character and disparaging The NPP in Yilo. And it is on this basis that the Party in Yilo Klo will petition the General Legal Council and the IGP”.
“Dennis Yao Terkpetey, aka Tukpe, is aggrieved because his friends lost in the recent constituency elections and blame Dr. Twum for that” the statement added.
The statement expressed that “We are worried about the peace that Dennis Terkpetey Yao, aka Tukpe, wants to disturb in Yilo, using the chieftaincy as a decoy. We expect him to know better as a police officer and to stop this attitude, which undermines the very police institution in which he works. He must stay out of the party politics in Yilo Klo”.
“We want to put it on record that the people of Yilo Klo are proud of Dr. Twum; they love and cherish him for the immense and numerous supports he has been giving to them in terms of youth and women’s empowerment, drilling boreholes, and providing corn mills to communities in Yilo Krobo. And as a party, we have advised Dr. Twum to seek redress in court for the defamatory statements made by Dennis Yao Terkepetey, Takeukpe”.
However, the Party urged the Ghana Police Service to call the Chief to stay away from the NPP to avoid any further melee which may disturb the peace of the Yilo Klo state.
