I, Nii SACKEY AKUMIA VI, NgleshieAdanseMantse and acting Dzaasetse for James Town NgleshieAlata Traditional Area with the elders of NgleshieAdanse, our attention has been drawn to a publication dated 19th June 2021written by one Kofi Aduonum and published by Peace FM online and on page 10 of The New Crusading Guide of Tuesday, 6th July 2021 edition with the claim by Dr. Prince William Ashanku-Bruce Quaye captioned “OBREMPONG WETSE KOJO II IS JAMES TOWN MANTSE – HOUSE OF CHIEFS.” – WE DISAGREE. WE WANT TO SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT.
- In the said publications and I quote “ruling and judgment delivered separately by the panel members of the Judicial Committee of the Greater-Accra Regional House of Chiefs (Dodowa) on Tuesday, June 15 2021 with suit GAR-HC/P2/2018, the House affirmed that ObrempongWetseKojo II was legitimately nominated, elected, installed and enstooled as the paramount chief of NgleshieAlata James Town Traditional Area by the accredited principal kingmakers of the NgleshieAlata James Town paramount stool in accordance with Section 6 of the Native Administration Ordinance of 1929.”
- “Section 6 of the Native Administration Ordinance of 1929 stipulates the persons seized with the authority to legitimately bring the paramount chief of NgleshieAlata James Town to full status.”
- “Per the provisions of the 1929 Native Administration Ordinance, the four principal kingmakers clothed with the authority to nominate the candidate of NgleshieAlata James Town paramount stool are NiiSampaKojo XI of Dom, Nii Appiah V of Ashalaja, Nii Saki Ansa V of Manhean and NiiAkuntuaKojo IX of Weija.”
- We find this publication misleading, mischievous and out of place. First and foremost the judgment only referred to capacity of the petitioners and ruled on it because it is only NgleshieAdanseMantse or NgleshieAjumakoDawurampongMantse who has the capacity to challenge any installation in the NgleshieAlata Traditional Area.
- Secondly, from the two ruling houses, it is only NiiSackey of WetseKojo We and NiiAttoh of Kofi Akrashie We who have been clothed with the titles and capacity to nominated, select, elect, install and enstool any potential candidate for the high office of James Town Mantse as referred to in the 1918 Accra Water Works acquisition and affirmed in the 1929 Native Administration Ordinance.
- After the selection and nomination of the prospective candidate, the candidate is then handed over to the kingmakers for the secret ritual leading to enstoolment. This publication has occasioned the NgleshieAdanse Division of James Town NgleshieAlata Traditional Area to respond and set the records straight.
- After the demise of the late paramount chief of the traditional area, NiiKojoAbabio V, it was ascertained that he was enstooled through the AjumakoDawurampong Division which makes the Adanse Division the next to provide the next paramount chief. At that point in time, we had factions coming up and Adanse was finding it difficult to provide a candidate. We were advised to provide a candidate within that short spate of time and that brought in Dr. Prince William Ashanku-Bruce Quaye for selection and installment. This is what occasioned the law suit that went to Dodowa and which judgment we are responding. This means, if we had delayed, the petitioners in the said suit could have gone ahead to illegitimately installed a chief.
- We started with the process of enstoolment which became stalled somewhere along the line. The reasons why the enstoolment became stalled or withheld were that
- Dr. Prince William Ashanku-Bruce Quayeover stepped his boundaries and entered into the NgleshieAdanseOdametey family and enstooled Asafoatse, Akwashongnye, Akwashongtse
- He went further to enstool a Mantse and a Manye at ChorkorLantemaŋmli, a suburb under the NgleshieAdanse stool without the consent of NgleshieAdanseMantse, NiiSackeyAkumia VI and the acting Dzaasetse who was in the process of enstooling him.
- He was involved in the fraudulent sale of land at Tetegu to a businessman who allegedly claimed that the signature of the late paramount chief was signed on the document which was handed to him (the businessman). This matter went to the police and it was carried by the press with the caption and I quote “James Town Chief Busted For Fraud. CheckOutGhana” https://checkoutghana.com/news-details.php?nid=2237/james-town-chiefs-busted-for-fraud
- The kingmakers who were cited above namely NiiSampaKojo XI of Dom, Nii Appiah V of Ashalaja, Nii Saki Ansa V of Manhean and NiiAkuntuaKojo IX of Weija, their only mandate is the performance of the secret ritual after which the candidate is brought back to the Chief of the ruling house that selected and nominated the said candidate. They have no mandate and no hand in the selection and nomination of any candidate who occupies the paramount stool of James Town NgleshieAlata Traditional Area.
- In the case of Dr. Prince William Ashanku-Bruce Quaye, his selection and nomination was begun by NiiSackeyAkumia VI, NgleshieAdanseMantse and acting Dzaasetse for NgleshieAlata Traditional Area and was handed over to the kingmakers. He was brought to NgleshieAdanse for the swearing of oath, then to the AjumakoDawurampong for another swearing of oath.
- It was left for NiiSackeyAkumia VI to take him to Weija and finally to Prampram to complete the enstoolment procedure. This has not been done till today. Per the James Town NgleshieAlata traditions, customs and usage, the secrets of going to finalize the rituals of enstoolment at Weija then to Prampram completes the enstoolment procedure.
In conclusion, Dr. Prince William Ashanku-Bruce Quaye cannot hold himself out as the paramount chief of James Town NgleshieAlata Traditional Area as he claimed in the said publication.
Now to all and sundry, NgleshieAdanse would very soon come out with a candidate for installation.
Cc:
THE JAMES TOWN TRADITIONAL COUNCIL, James Town, Accra
THE GREATER-ACCRA REGIONAL HOUSE OF CHIEFS, DODOWA
THE NATIONAL HOUSE OF CHIEFS, KUMASI
THE HONOURABLE MINISTER, MINISTRY OF CHIEFTAINCY AFFAIRS, ACCRA
THE HONOURABLE REGIONAL MINISTER, GREATER-ACCRA REGION, ACCRA
THE MAYOR, ACCRA METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY, ACCRA
