Kingmakers and the Abusuapanyin of Dompem Pepesa are in rage against the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa Nsuaem, George Mireku Duker, the MCE Benjamin Kessie and the Regional Minister Kobby Okyere Darko for fueling the troubles surrounding the Dompem Pepesa Chieftaincy Stool.
At a press conference to address the issue, the Dompem Pepesa Traditional Council pointed out that the three personalities have been supporting a self-styled chief, Ohyeawora Bianyowah to defy all Court Orders for his removal as chief of Dompem Pepesa.
According to the Abusuapanyin, there have been several Court proceedings over who has the right to ascend the Stool and it all went against Bafour Awuah Kwapaa who is ruling under the stool name Ohyeawora Bian Nyonwa IV.
They noted that, an order was granted by the Court empowering the police to evict Ohyeawora Bian Nyonwa but when the police brought the eviction notice, “he retaliated with gun shots and set the palace ablaze, and jumped through the window to escape. The Hon MP George Mireku Duker and the Hon MCE Bejamin Kessie were seen in a video arguing strongly and obstructing the police from performing their duty.”
Narrating the circumstances surrounding Bafour Awuah Kwapaa’s installation as chief, the Kingmakers said it all began when Nana Kwaku Nkrumah IV was in power but later abdicated the stool for obvious reasons.
This, they claimed was in the absence of the Abusua Panyin hence the kingmakers were waiting for the Abusua Panyin to return in order for a new chief to be traditionally enstooled.
“But before they could notice, the MP George Mireku Duker and his grandfather had tacitly enstooled one Bafour Awuah Kwapaa, as chief with the stool name Ohyeawora Bian Nyonwa IV. When the Abusua Panyin arrived he, noticing that Kwapaa was not a true royal, and did not qualify to be chief of Dompem Pepesa, together with the kingmakers, made a declaration at the Tarkwa high Court against that enstoolement, that his enstoolment was improper, non-traditional and illegal and that no one should recognize him as chief of Dompim.”
They also pointed out that the Abusua Panyin, the Kingmakers and the Queen mother, following the tradition of Wasa Fiase, enstooled a new legal and substantive chief from the rightful gate.
Meanwhile, Kwaapaa was still styling himself up as the chief of Dompim Pepesa, and so it was assumed that there were two chiefs in Dompim Pepesa, and this went to the notice of the Traditional Council and the two Parties were invited by the council under the jurisdiction of the Arbitration Committee.
“After series of investigation, the Arbitration Committee ruled in favour of the new chief, Nana Nyonwa Panyin IV. Kwaapaa was then asked by the Arbitration Committee to leave the Dompem Palace. Kwaapaa, not satisfied with the ruling, sent it to the Judicial Committee of the Wasa Fiase Traditional Area. And the Committee ruled in favour of the new chief.”
Nana Nyonwa Panyin IV, according to the leaders, took the case to the Sekondi High Court seeking an injunction against the gazette of the new chief but lost in the process.
Although he again applied for a Stay of Execution, he later withdrew from the court, accepting therefore that he was not the chief of Dompim Pepesa.
But, despite all these, “Kwaapaa has defied the orders of the court and continued to remain and manage to convince the town that he was still the chief. This, he has been doing with the support of the Honourable MP George Mireku Duker and MCE Hon. Benjamin Kessie.”
According to the traditional council, they have been through all hooliganism, vandalization and brutalities meted out by the illegal chief (Kwaapaa or Ohyeawora) and his followers but Nana Nyonwa Panyin the IV and the Pepesaman have been patient all this while.
“It has come to a point that a competent court of jurisdiction has given an order that the purported chief who styles himself as Ohyeawora Bian Nyonwa, and was enstooled by Hon. George Mireku Duker, be moved from the palace, which the police carried out.”
They stated that the MP, Hon George Mireku Duker and the MCE Hon. Benjamin Kessie have teamed up and stood against this court order, saying their government is in power and that they are in-charge of security in the area and that ‘this matter will not rest’ and that even though there is an order from the court of jurisdiction to evict the purported chief, they will not allow him to move out of the palace and will do everything in their power to prevent his removal.
The Council alleged that on Thursday 27th August, 2020 the MCE sent a troupe of military men to the town under the pretense that they were in to keep peace and while the MCE was talking on the local FM preaching peace, his boys took advantage of the presence of the Military and entered into people’s premises and looted and vandalized their houses and stores.
“This was actually a calculated attempt at sabotaging the court order. The Divisional Police Commander and the Regional Police commander had no knowledge of this military presence, the police had already been to the town and had kept peace and tranquility until that evening when they came.”
Nana Nyonwa Panyin IV, the Abusua Panyin, the Acredited King-makers and the entire Agona Royal Clan have expressed gratitude to the I.G.P, the Western Regional Commander, the Tarkwa Divisional Commander and the Nsuaem District Commander, as well as the Dompem station officer of Police, for following all the court proceedings and granting protection against such brutalities.
Meanwhile, they averred that “in the event of any chaos in Dompim Pepesa, we suggest, that the president of the Republic should hold The Western Regional Minister, The Member of Parliament and Municipal Chief Executive of Tarkwa-Nsauem Municipality responsible. The illegal chief, who shot a gun at the baliff was been charged to court, but the Regional Minister ordered that he should not be taken to court.”
