Osabarima Adigye Gyamfi (in black smock) flanked by the elders. INSET: The assembly man
THE CHIEF, elders and the youth of Akyem-Akrofufu in the Atiwa District of the Eastern Region are up in arms against the assembly man for the area, Stephen Kwaku Nyarko.
They have threatened to petition the Atiwa Distict Assembly for his dismissal for allegedly pocketing huge sums of money meant for community projects.
The chief, Osabarima Adigye Gyamfi and elders of the Akrofufu Traditional Council revealed this when they invited the assembly man to come and clear himself over the accusations leveled against him. He is alleged to have taken moneys from illegal miners and also embezzled an amount of GH?40,000.00 being the community’s generated revenue.
The elders of the community led by Lawyer Seth Asante, hinted that the assembly man had shown gross disrespect to the chief and the people for failing to attend a general meeting to render an account on how money, which was given to him for development, was spend.
Mr Stephen Kwaku Nyarko has also been accused of embezzling about GH¢78,000.00 of monies collected from mining companies in the area.
Chief’s Reactions
Osabarima Gyamfi said the assembly had failed to render accounts to the community but rather ran to the media houses to publish a series of stories accusing him and the elders of spending the community’s revenue.
The chief said that the matter was put before the former district chief executive for Atiwa, Atta Twum, to resolve and the elders demanded that the assembly member purify him (chief) with four sheep, eight bottles of Schnapps and an unqualified apology to the traditional council, but Mr Kwaku Nyarko refused to do so.
However, in his response to the chief’s claims, the assembly man has denied the allegations.
He said no such amount of money had been given to him, and also hadn’t collected any money from illegal miners.
He therefore agreed to honour the chief’s summons with the items requested to purify him.
ROM Daniel Bampoe, Akyem – Akrofufu