The demonstrators with placards
Five divisional sub-chiefs and elders of the Manya-Krobo Traditional Area in the Eastern Region have expressed their dissatisfaction against their Paramount Chief, Nene Sakite II, over what they described as ‘his autocratic leadership’ which, according to them, has stifled the development of the area.
They stated: “Since Nene Sakite II became the paramount chief of the area, he has not shown any respect to us; neither has he demonstrated any leadership character for us to emulate, but has rather brought divisions which have escalated chieftaincy disputes in the area”.
The divisional sub-chiefs, kingmakers, family heads, elders and members of the five out of the six divisional clans namely Dorm, Manya, Suisi, Piengua and Akwenor, who have given him 14 days to relent or face their wrath, staged a massive demonstration against the Konor on Thursday morning.
The demonstrators comprise the five divisional sub-chiefs, including old men and women. Wearing red arm bands, they held placards with inscriptions such as “Stop Selling Our Family Lands”, “Nene Sakite Cannot Be A Peacemaker”, “Ungrateful Paramount Chief”, among others. They proceeded through the principal streets of Odumase from Kpong to Atua junction with police protection. They later petitioned the President through the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Simeon Tetteh, on the premises of the assembly.
A six-page petition, issued and signed by the five divisional sub-chiefs, heads and the kingmakers, cited about 21 charges against him.
Among the key charges they stated that are – Nene Sakite II has turned his palace into lands office where he is selling family lands that are not stool lands, thereby creating confusion in the area.
They stated that it would amount to conflict of interest and out of order for Nene Sakite (a customary head) to claim ownership of lands belonging to families and clans.
The sub-chiefs further stressed that “Nene Sakite II has now become a dictator who does not listen to them, emphasizing “self interest” more than the interest of his people. He is in court with some of the chiefs fighting over lands that neither belong to him nor belong to his stool”.
“Nene Sakite II never listened to the divisional sub-chiefs who would complement his leadership status. As a result, the composition of their Council of Elders has become weak, and the situation is not helping him to steer the affairs of the paramountcy,” the petition stated.
They further stated: “The Konor knows the Krobo Mountains is our ancestral home and cherished tourism site since 1892 and that our forefathers were forcefully ejected from there which has been a memorable calamity and taboo for the Krobos . . . yet without fear and respect for the Krobos, he brought in some Kuwaits to excavate and exhume the human remains of our ancestors”.
They said when the Kuwaits stormed the mountains to dig for gold, human bones, bottles, beads and other precious metals that were used to bury their ancestors without their consent were exhumed, and it took the intervention of the youth to sack them from the site before it got to their attention.
“We thought that with him as Konor of Manya Krobo and with his 30 years experience stay in the United States, he would impact positively on our development as Krobos; rather he has been an element of division, disappointment and retrogression within the Manya Krobo State,” they stressed.
They further added that since October 2014 when former President John Agyekum Kufuor commissioned the limestone site purposely to be mined at Klo-Begoro/Oduglase, Nene Sakite II has failed to draft and sign a memorandum of understanding and corporate social responsibility agreement with GHACEM.
However, the five divisional sub-chiefs warned the Konor to desist from litigating and taking over their properties, thereby disturbing their peace else they would fight against him even at the expense of their lives.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Oduamse – Krobo