Write to restrain Effutu Omanhene
Winneba (Central Region) - A writ has been filed at a Cape Coast High Court seeking to restrain the Paramount Chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, Neenyi Ghartey VII, from participating in Saturday’s Aboakyer Festival of the chiefs and people of the area.
Mr Issac Otumto Arthur of Winneba holds the power of attorney of Abusuapanyin Kow Mensah-King, based in the United States, who filed the write.
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An affidavit in support of the motion said there is presently pending at the registry of the Central Regional House of Chiefs a law suit entitled “Abusuapanyin Kow Mensah King and another vrs Opanyin Kwaku Kyokyibi Gyan and others”, challenging the validity of the nomination and installation of Neenyi Ghartey as Omanhene of the Effutu Traditional Area. The affidavit said for some time now, the suit has not been heard due to the fact that the house has had no counsel for the past three years.
It said Neenyi Ghartey has taken advantage of this to parade around Winneba in his false status as Omanhene, thus creating a lot of tension in the township, which is normally heightened during the celebration of the annual Aboakyer Festival.
According to the affidavit, which was avowed to by Mr Arthur, this situation nearly got out of hand two years ago when the festival was celebrated. “The police contingent, who were dispatched to Winneba, however, could hardly contain the situation as rival factions loyal to both sides nearly clashed. If that had happened, mayhem, loss of lives and property would have been occasioned,” it added.
The affidavit said the respondent was advised by the Regional Security Council to refrain from attending the festival, but he stubbornly refused to heed the advice. It said the situation is likely to be repeated during the forthcoming festival if the respondent defies the previous advice of the council and attends the festival, which is scheduled for Saturday 4 May 2002.
It said it is desire to avert the impending gloom that hangs over Winneba that the Central Regional House of Chiefs in its wisdom, wrote to the Central Regional Minister and copied other interested bodies to advise the respondent to stay out of this year’s festival. The affidavit said the entire township of Winneba stand to suffer, if mayhem descends on the town as a result of the respondent’s decision to participate in the festival as Omanhene.
Meanwhile, the two Asafo companies in Winneba, the Tuafo and the Dentsifo, and some inhabitants of the town have called on President J.A. Kufuor to stop Neenyi Ghartey from participating in the festival to avoid clashes that might result in the loss of lives and property.
Making the call at a press conference at Winneba last Friday, they said there have been opposition, disturbances and chaos, leading to casualties, police arrest and court actions anytime Neenyi Ghartey presided over the celebration of the festival.
The spokesman for the group, Nana Otubuo Sipiri II, Tufuhene of the Effutu Traditional Area, said their opposition to the Neenyi Ghartey stems from the fact that his nomination, election and enstoolment as chief were fraudulent and at “variance with Article 277 of the 1992 Constitution”.
He said the installation of Neenyi Ghartey as Omanhene in 1995 was improper and contemptuous, since the case was pending before the Judicial Committee of the Central Regional House of Chiefs at the time. Nana Supiri appealed to Neenyi Ghartey to see reason and suppress his inordinate ambition to step on a live dear as a way of ensuring a peaceful celebration of the festival.