New President For WR House Of Chiefs

Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi (right) being sworn in

Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi, paramount chief of Sefwi Anhwiaso in the Western Region, has been elected President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs in a keenly contested poll yesterday.

He polled 8 votes to beat Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX, Omanhehe of Lower Dixcove Traditional Area, who had 7 votes out of the total of 15 votes cast.

Nana Agyemang, who prior to the election was acting as the President of the House and had been tipped to win the election, lost.

For the vice presidential position, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area won with 8 votes to defeat Okogyeman Kweku Gyampra of Sefwi Chirano – who had 7 votes.

Nine of the chiefs were also elected as representatives of the Regional House to the National House of Chiefs.

They include Nana Kobina Nketsia, Omanhene of Esikado; Awulae Attibrukusu of Lower Axim; Tetrete Akuamoa Sekyim; Awulae Kpanyinli; Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi; Awulae Annor Adjei; Okogyeman Kweku Gyampra; Nana Kwesi Agyemang and Osagyefo Kwaw Entsie.

It would be recalled that somewhere in August this year, two separate injunctions were placed on the elections of the president and the vice president of the Western Regional House of Chiefs as well as representatives of the House to the National House of Chiefs.

The injunction application was filed by some aggrieved factions in the Regional House.

The elections were canceled following concerns raised by some elders and chiefs in the traditional areas of some of the chiefs who were vying for the afore-mentioned positions.

Even though it was not initially clear what prompted the concerns resulting in the cancellation of the elections, it was later gathered that it had to do with the legitimacy of some of the chiefs in the House.

According to sources, some chiefs in the Nzema area placed the injunction on the elections, claiming that the name Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli, which currently happens to be the stool name of the paramount chief of Eastern Nzema, was fraudulently used.

In that same injunction, the plaintiffs were seeking to prevent the president of the House from presiding over any meeting or election that would seek to elect Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli to any position of the House.

There was another injunction from one Ebusuapanyin Egya Ackah, seeking to prevent the paramount chief of Bamiakor from contesting in any of the elections.

Consequently, officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) led by the Western Regional (EC) Director, Stephen Opoku-Mensah, had to leave the premises of the Regional House of Chiefs without conducting the elections.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Bokoro

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