Chief to Akufo-Addo: Tackle protracted chieftaincy disputes

The Divisional Chief of Gbetseli in the Kpone-Katamanso District of the Greater Accra, Nii Teye Kojo Amanquah Sune I, has urged President Akufo-Addo to walk the talk on his campaign pledge to tackle the numerous protracted chieftaincy disputes in the region. At a news conference to address some chieftaincy and land-related issues at Gbetseli near Michel Camp, the chief recalled that in the run-up to the 2016 elections, Nana Akufo-Addo promised to resolve the protracted disputes that have been bedevilling the Ga States. With Nana Akufo-Addo now the President, Nii Amanquah Sune wants him to immediately take steps at addressing those disputes to ensure peace and stability in the affected areas for development to prevail. Gbetseli has a chief Meanwhile, he has dispelled claims that Gbetseli has no chief, hence “we want to advise the general public to disregard stories out there that there is no Chief in Gbetseli”. He said himself and Nii Teye Kojo I, “were duly nominated, elected, confined, installed” as the divisional chief and Mankralo of Gbetseli and outdoored by the legitimate kingmakers and elders of Gbetseli with consultation of the Elders of Kpone. He gave June 26, 2015 as the date of they were installed and outdoored, adding they later swore the oath of allegiance to the Kpone paramount chief to signify their approval and acceptance into the Kpone Traditional Council. “As constitution demands, the Chief and the Mankralo have respectively gone through due process to be approved and accepted by the National House of Chiefs and their names have be entered into National Register of Chief and thereby gazetted as the Divisional Chief of Gbetseli and sub- chief (Mankralo) of Gbetseli respectively,” he stated.Nii Amanquah Sune I further said claims that a court has ordered their removal was false. “We want to use this means to clear the atmosphere about the peddling lies that court has issued orders to de-stool the Divisional Chief and Mankralo of Gbetseli. “No court order has been issued to de-stool the Chief and Mankralo of Gbetseli respectively, we entreat the public to disregard such information,” he stated, adding they have the “legitimate capacity”. Sale of lands The divisional chief has meanwhile advised persons who have bought lands at Gbetseli from fraudulent people to without hesitation take steps to have same regularised or have themselves to blame when action is taken against them. He observed that a lot of people are occupying Gbetseli lands without legitimate documentation. “The Gbetseli Stool therefore entreats all residents of Gbetseli who have built on parcels or portions of Gbetseli Stool lands but do not have documents from the Stool, to report to the Gbetseli Stool immediately for regularization of their interest in the lands,” he advised. Persons who fail to comply, he warned would have themselves to blame when as the Stool is in the process of instituting a court action against them, with a likely consequence of demolition. He also warned prospective land buyers to be careful of fraudsters who may claim to be owners of Gbetseli lands, nothing the lands in the area are not family lands but that of the Stool. By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana]]>