Some members of the Council of State
The two members of the Council of State representing the Western Region have virtually begged members of the Regional House of Chiefs to bury their differences and try to resolve the feud in the House for the rapid development of the area.
The two members who led the passionate appeal were Madam Eunice Jacqueline Buah and Mrs. Alberta Cudjoe.
According to them, the region was endowed with lots of natural resources and that the chiefs and people needed to unite and put in more efforts to harness the resources for the good of the region.
The two made the appeal when members of the Council of State met and interacted with the Regional House of Chiefs as part of the Council’s three days visit to the region to acquaint themselves with progress there.
Bizarrely, when they were making the appeal, only two members of the Regional House of Chiefs attended the meeting with the Council.
The rest boycotted the meeting apparently because of the alleged confusion in the House, which has made it impossible for the House to elect a president.
However, because the meeting was held in the Nzema area, some chiefs there were present.
Ms. Buah said, “We are pleading with our chiefs to try and resolve whatever issue that is there amicably rather than resorting to the courts and the litigation is retrogressing the area’s development.”
For her part, Mrs. Cudjoe noted that the development needs of the Western Region were enormous, and it was only through a peaceful environment that the region would attract the much needed investments.
The Confusion
The confusion in the House started when an aggrieved party in the House filed an injunction restraining one of the chiefs, Awulae Amihere Kpainyili of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council from using his stool name to contest for the President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs.
The House therefore, proceeded with the elections at a time when Awulae Amihere Kpainyili was not present.
Some Paramount Chiefs who supported Awulae Amihere Kpainyili and were not enthused about their colleagues’ decision to go ahead with the elections staged a walkout.
The case was later sent to a Sekondi High Court by Awulae Amihere Kpainyili and the court nullified the election which saw the Paramount Chief of Wassa Amenfi Traditional area, Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim II, being elected as President of the House of Chiefs.
The court in its ruling ordered both the Western Regional House of Chiefs and the Electoral Commission to organise fresh elections and allow the plaintiff, Awulae Amihere Kpainyili to contest the elections as well.
However, to date, the House has not been able to organise the fresh elections because of other court cases.
Council Chairman
The Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Serebour II promised to get involved in any effort by the two members of the Council to resolve the issue amicably.
Minister
The Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Kojo Kum, who was present at the Council of State meeting with the chiefs, was not happy that as sector minister, chiefs from his own region were not at the meeting and pleaded with them to allow peace to prevail.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Ellembelle