The Chief of Denkyira Kyekyewere, Nana Kwame Nipa II, has banned dreadlocks, indecent dressing, and lotto operations to curb youth misconduct such as drug abuse in his town.
Speaking to the media, he linked the hairstyle to social ills among modern youth, though he noted it’s not sinful in itself, and plans to detain violators in a palace cell before handing them over to the police.
“I have a cell at my palace; therefore, any youth who chooses to defy my authority should be prepared to be locked up immediately,” he said.
The interview, which has since gone viral, has captured split opinions: supporters see it as upholding cultural values, while critics call it an overreach on personal freedoms amid bigger issues like illegal mining.
On X, Timothy Seikem Korle Donkor disagreed with the chief’s opinion, saying, “Unconstitutional. Offends freedom of personal liberty and freedom of expression, which entails the freedom to choose one’s means of self-expression.
Hairstyle and dressing are significant ways of self-expression. The ethics of romanticism, which centers the self over society, requires that the individual remain free in these spheres.
As J.S. Mill would put it, over his body and mind, the individual is free. What should be abolished is the chieftaincy institution.”
By Prince Fiifi Yorke