Osmanu Ibrahim addressing the media
The youth and some residents of Sekondi yesterday embarked on a demonstration to press home their demand for a substantive chief for one of Western Region’s twin capital.
The Sekondi Traditional Council, which has about 23 Divisions, has been without a chief for over two decades.
After the demise of the then chief, Nana Owire Duku about 27 years ago, attempts to get his successor have proved futile due to some alleged chieftaincy dispute pending before the Western Regional House of Chiefs.
According to the youth, the situation has retarded the progress and development of the once vibrant Sekondi.
They, therefore, marched through the principal streets of Sekondi in their numbers amidst brass band music yesterday.
The youth, clad in red apparels, held placards some of which read: “We Need Our Chief. Enough Is Enough”, “Sekondi Deserves A Chief” and “27 Years of Absence of a Chief is Enough” among others.
They later converged at the forecourt of the Western Regional House of Chiefs in Sekondi, where they presented their petition to the House.
The Spokesperson for the demonstrators, Osmanu Ibrahim, popularly called ‘Sansiro’, bemoaned the fact that Sekondi is not developing partly because of the absence of a substantive chief.
Sansiro, who is also an assembly member for Assemensudu in Sekondi, said, “Prominent chiefs are lobbying projects for their communities. Meanwhile, our elders who are supposed to lead a similar chart for Sekondi are rather busily engaged in a marathon of chieftaincy disputes.”
He asserted that there is disunity among the people of Sekondi and that the situation keeps igniting needless conflicts as well as creating tension among the people.
“Painfully, we are currently not able to trace all royalties that are supposed to go to the traditional authorities to support our community initiated developmental projects.
“In fact, we do not know those who are currently in charge of all royalties due Sekondi and what they use the royalties for,” he said.
He expressed worry that when government officials including the President and the Vice President visit Western Region, they hardly go to Sekondi Palace because there is no substantive Omanhene to welcome them.
“We are appalled by this situation because such meetings do create opportunities for our chiefs to lobby directly from the executive arm of government.
“We, therefore, call on the Royal Family of Sekondi to make the development of the town a topmost priority and bury their differences so that they can select a true Royal they may deem to be eligible, and install him as a chief of Sekondi,” Â he stated.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi