A Sub-Chief of Prestea-Nakaba community in Himan Divisional Area in the Prestea Huni Valley District of the Western Region, Nana Blay Kwofie I, has described widespread reports in some sections of the media that he has been dethroned as “palpable falsehood.”
According to the sub-chief, the story, which was broadcast by Bogoso-based Energy FM and carried by other media houses, was a ‘sinister plot’ by some members of the Tufohene Oyoko family of Prestea Nakaba and groups allegedly led by one Nana Yaw, who is not a member of the family, to attack his traditional and chieftaincy status.
He made it clear that the assertion made by Nana Yaw and his followers including Mr. Eric Ekpe, Madam Rose Esi Blesset, Abusuapanin Joseph Kwaw and one Kwadwo that he was destooled as a result of a judgment given by a Tarkwa High Court presided over by His Lordship, K.A. Ofori Atta, on Tuesday, October 9, 2017 in favour of the Tufohene Oyoko family against him for selling family lands to individuals and organisations was totally untrue.
In his estimation, Nana Yaw and his cohorts gave what he described as an ‘illiterate interpretation’ to that judgment. Nana Blay Kwofie I explained that the judgment delivered by the Tarkwa High Court against him was a long-standing land litigation issue between him and his family which absolutely had nothing to do with his traditional and chieftaincy status or affairs.
According to him, these people do not have the traditional capacity to dethrone or install a chief in the Prestea Himan Divisional Area. He stressed that such traditional and customary rituals can only be performed by the Prestea Himan Divisional Chief, Nana Ntaboah Prah IV.
“So I want to put on record that l have not been destooled by the Tarkwa High Court nor anybody. l am still the chief of Prestea Nakaba community performing my traditional and chieftaincy duties and rights entrusted into my hands by my kingmakers, elders and people,” he stressed. This notwithstanding, the chief stated that his lawyer last week filed a stay of execution in a Cape Coast Appeal Court in the Central Region against the judgment and called on his elders and kingmakers to stay calm since the Tarkwa High Court judgment had nothing to do with his chieftaincy title. Nana Yaw on behalf of some disgruntled groups and members of the Tufohene Oyoko family on Wednesday, October 9, 2017 announced the destoolment of Nana Blay Kwofie I, accusing him of selling vast stretch of family lands to Ghanaians and foreign nationals for illegal mining activities and other land developing purposes without the consent and knowledge of the family.
The destoolment of the chief, Nana Yaw, mentioned followed the judgment declared by the Tarkwa High Court on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 in favour of the Tufohene Oyoko family.
But, addressing a press conference to set the records straight on the matter on Saturday, Nana Blay Kwofie I denied all the allegations levelled against him, and described Nana Yaw and his ilk as “frustrated and confused” individuals. He added that he had “ignored the tantrums of Nana Yaw and his followers, and indeed, resisted the temptation of responding to their tactics of lying at the least opportunity to portray a semblance of insecurity in the area.”
According to Nana Blay Kwofie I, when the principal kingmakers in consultation with the elders installed him in 2000 to ascend the throne, he was moved from Accra to ensure that he retrieved all the entire Tufohene Oyoko family lands from Old Prestea Post Office to Bondaye which were virtually lost to squatters and indigenous farmers. He maintained that he used series of legal battles to retrieve about 3,000 acres of the land for the family which now have become bonafide properties of the family.
Story: Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu
