Wassa Fiase Traditional Council headquarters to move to Benso
The reinstated Omanhene of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area in the Western Region, Odeneho Akrofa Krukoko II, has announced the relocation of the current seat of the traditional council headquarters at Tarkwa to Benso with immediate effect.
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Odeneho Krukoko, who is also the President of the traditional council, indicated that all the necessary arrangements had been initiated to appoint a qualified registrar and other officers to manage the day-to-day affairs of the council and report same to the traditional authorities.
In line with this, the omanhene has called for absolute peace among the Asomako Royal Family of Benso and the entire citizenry of the traditional area, saying that “without unity of purpose, all efforts to develop the area will be in vain.”
Addressing a press conference at Benso at the weekend, Odeneho Krukoko noted that “there would be no retaliation, vengeance or vindictiveness, as my focus now is to ensure the progress of Benso, which has lagged behind in socio-economic infrastructural development.”
Odeneho Krukoko, known in private life as Mr George Kingsley Kwesi Ampong, was enstooled as paramount chief of Wassa Fiase on June 24, 1994 at Benso and gazetted on December 27, 1996.
However, following a protracted chieftaincy dispute, he left Benso for the United Kingdom (UK) until a recent ruling in his favour by the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs.
Judicial committee
On October 10, 2016, the three-member committee, chaired by Awulae Annor Adjaye III, declared that the purported installation or enstoolment of Osagyefo Dr Kwamena Enimil VI was a nullity and of no legal effect, citing a number of findings from the evidence before the committee.
The other panellists were Nana Kwesi Agyeman IX and Awulae Amihere Kpanyili III, with Mr Kweku Sam-Amoah as Counsel.
At the press conference, the Omanhene, who was visibly upset and shed tears as he recalled some sickening events, declared, “Let me assure everybody of my resolve not to engage in retaliation, litigation, divisiveness or diversity. Certainly, not on my part.”
He recalled that Mr Nelson Mandela of South Africa was incarcerated for 27 years but was able to unite his people for development when he eventually became the President of his country.
Rich natural resources
Odeneho Krukoko explained that Wassa Fiase was a very great traditional area, contributing about 40 per cent of Ghana’s rich natural resources such as gold, manganese, cocoa, bauxite and timber, yet it had no fair share of the national cake.
He added that “Wassa Fiase is great and its status must be restored and maintained through unity and peace.”
The paramount chief indicated that his priority was to provide scholarships to deserving children of the area to fulfil their educational dreams for them to eventually contribute meaningfully towards the overall development of the area.
He further declared that he would not rely on the central government for infrastructure development but would rather utilise whatever royalties that would come to the council, as well as the benevolence of individuals and corporate bodies, to embark on development projects as he had started until the long-standing litigation.