THE KROBO AREA DESERVES THE UNIVERSITY TOO !!!!

An aerial view of the chamber of Ghana's Parliament

There is a debate in Parliament now which should be of great interest to every well-meaning persons of Krobo descent. Listening to the substance of the argument being advanced by the Minority side in Parliament makes me cringe in my seat.  I still find it difficult why the minority, led by Hon Dominic Nitiwul, Deputy Minority Leader would want to make such a grievous error.

A young female scholar taking her ceremonial walk during her graduation

Based on the findings/recommendations from a committee of experts, government decided to situate the proposed Eastern Region University (the University of Environment and Sustainable Development) at Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality and has since been taking steps (at a snail pace, though) to make this happen.

Government managed to move what initially sounded a mere rhetoric beyond the formation of a mere committee and drafted a bill to give legal backing to the establishment of the educational facility. The bill is presently before Parliament for legislative approval.

We woke up to a rather shocking news last Friday about how the minority in Parliament is determined to influence the relocation of the project from Yilo Krobo to Koforidua in the New Juabeng Municipality, hinging its lame argument on the fact that Koforidua is more deserving of the project because of its status as the Eastern Regional capital and the fact that by precedent, all public universities have been sited in the regional capitals and so this must follow suit. 

To the minority, the choice of Somanya as the site for the main campus and Donkorkrom in the Afram Plain North District for a satellite campus was based purely on political expediency for which reason the project must not see the light of day because the designated towns and their respective constituencies are “freebies” (world bank) of the ruling NDC.

The Deputy Minority Leader is even on record to have literally sworn to rally all other members of his side to “Suarez” the bill when it comes back for third reading. Given his position and the seriousness with which he made the statement, this cannot be taken as an empty “threat”.

A University graduate posing for a shot after his graduation

I am sad ! As a Krobo, you will expect that I will oppose the minority’s argument with aggression, after all, who will watch a fleshy meat in his plate swapped with dry bones? That aside, isn’t it unfortunate and baffling that the minority (and Hon. Nitiwul in particular) is being similarly driven by political considerations to think that the choice of the Krobo area for the project is for political expediency which may inure to the benefit of the ruling NDC government, for which reason the project site must be changed at all cost without further consideration of how that will deprive the Krobo area of this very important facility?

Come to think of it, who said it is a rule or law enshrined in the constitution that all (emphasis on ALL) public universities should be located in regional capitals? Since when did Tarkwa turn a regional capital to qualify to host the University of Mine and Technology (UMaT)? I thought the University of Education is located in Winneba which is not a regional capital.It would be expected that in the face of the growing congestion in the capitals (with its attendant negative ripples as being experienced), arising out of the overconcentration of such important facilities in the cities, policy makers such as our MPs and key decision making bodies like Parliament will adopt more proactive measures to start diverting the increasing traffic to the cities and reduce the alarming rural-urban drift through a conscious, logical and strategic spread of developmental projects such as this.  

Must we all desert our communities/towns and flock to the unplanned, garbage-filled, flood-prone and overpopulated cities and come put up in makeshift structures (because decent accommodation is just unaffordable) to access higher education and “improved living condition”?

Is it not time for us to rethink our approach to development and take a cue from what Accra, for instance, has become to want to start giving a more practical meaning to the concept of decentralization? Won’t we rework this elementary method to doing things and prove ourselves contemporary by cleverly and evenly distributing developmental projects across the country? Or is this an indirect vote of no confidence in the technical committee of experts on whose findings and recommendations the Krobo area was chosen?

Academic cap and scroll, symbols of  academic success

If the Koforidua Polytechnic will eventually be upgraded into a full-fledge university as is the proposal and promise by this government, is it the best of options to take this new university project to the same Koforidua (where another private university is in full operation) when other and more areas are weeping for just, I mean just, a senior secondary school worth its name? (http://www.ghananewsagency.org/education/koforidua-polytechnic-to-become-university-in-2016-90445),

If the argument by the minority is informed by more legitimate concerns which are yet to come to the fore, they are better raised now for proper assessment and analysis otherwise these ones are loose and could easily be misinterpreted as an anti-Krobo agenda which will further weaken the base of a party that is still striving to find an antidote to its poor showing in political contests in the area.

Watching from my corner here as a worried observer, I genuinely feel the minority’s argument is ungrounded and risks ditching the party further. Can someone be smart enough to read between the lines and find the brake pedal?

I have spoken my mind and not yours; let the discerning reader and well-meaning-Krobo make meaning of this piece

The writer is a journalist and a blogger (the kroboquill.blogspot.com) and can be reach via klonobi2007@gmail.com or 0266 000 747. You can follow him on twitter with the handle @henkingklonobi 

FIT-K, A MUSIC TALENT WASTING AWAY IN KROBO

FIT-K, known in private life as Fiagbor Israel Teye Kodjo, in the studios of Somanya-based Rite FMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjI7z4q2D0

FIT-K doing one of his things

Hidden in the obscure corner of Adjikpo, a suburb of Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region is a great music talent that is largely going untapped.

Eighteen (18) years after composing his first song, FIT- K (an abbreviation of his names Fiagbor Israel Teye-Kodjo) as he wishes to be known in the showbiz arena, is yet to cross path with fortune for a helping hand that will provide a fertile ground and push him from obscurity into the limelight.

With twelve (12) recorded tracks that are sure to pleasurably strike the taste buds of contemporary music lovers, and twenty two (22) other songs in ink (yet to be recorded), 28-year-old FIT-K, now an HND holder is still hoping against all odds for an opportunity to put on display his inherent and naturally polished rapping (music) skills.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxhrv7pUi60. Largely modeled on Obrafuor’s style of rap music characterized by rich lyrics that speak to social issues, all twelve (12) of his recorded tracks combine modern-day feet-moving beats, soothing voice and articulate rap to deliver messages that are sure to appeal not only to any fun and music lover but any decent minded person and the many advocates who are wishing for a shift from the use of profane and indecent language in our hip-life and other emerging genre of music.

“Wu tri su”, the latest of his recorded (but yet to be produced) songs which was creatively put together by Eddie Kay Beats (another ingenious young man from the Krobo area) plays on the general theme of REWARD FOR YOUR ACTION- “reaping from what is sown” and advocates a more virtuous lifestyle for the betterment of society.  Other tracks, majority of which are based on the concept of morality including those he composed in his native dialect (Krobo/Dangme), come with titles such as Vuvuzela, Letter to the Pope, The Warning, The Fruit, among others.

Born in the largely peasant farming community of Obawale in the Yilo Krobo Municipality, FIT-K who is a product of the Yilo State Junior High School and Yilo Krobo Senior High School (YIKROSEC) presently holds an HND (Accounting) from the Koforidua Polytechnic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjI7z4q2D0

As a budding rapper with a never-dying thirst to spring from behind the scene onto the big stage against all odds, FIT-K’s eyes are fixed on celebrated Ghanaian artistes such as Obrafuor (His all-time role model)  whose “Pae Mu ka” album further tickled his (FIT-K’s) artistic nerves and rejuvenated his musical hormones to join the creative industry.

Apart from Obrafour (Rap Sofuor), he takes inspiration from other great talents such as Sarkodie, Manifest, and the “Mad Man” or better still the “Street Boy”, Kaw Kesse. An opportunity to meet any of these celebrities would be good news to him.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxhrv7pUi60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjI7z4q2D0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxhrv7pUi60

The story as captured in the Monday November 16-18, 2015 edition of the newspaper

The writer is a journalist. He can be contacted via 0266 000 747 klonobi2007@gmail.com

GIVING CHIEFTAINCY A BAD NAME, THE YILO KROBO EXAMPLE (PART 1)

Akatabai (The Royal Umbrella), one of the many symbols of chieftaincy in Ghana

Chieftaincy is a big thing in our part of the world; it is noble and sacred. To say we as Africans and Ghanaians have a huge reverence for it is to state the obvious. The average chief in Ghana commands great respect, the type that ordinarily would not be accorded him in his private life.

Sword, another of the symbols associated with chieftancy

Once you are made a chief, your social class changes and you must be respected and treated as such, irrespective of your age and previous social standing. That is the level of prestige and dignity surrounding the institution.

Same was the level of political power and authority chiefs wielded; it was that big but the bitter truth is that the emergence of other forms of leadership and governance like democracy came to limit their powers, confining them to a relatively smaller area of authority mainly in the realm of traditional leadership.  

That notwithstanding, they still play some key roles in running our society as guaranteed in our Constitution. Among several others roles, they are the guardians of our rich and gorgeous tradition and culture which identify us as a people. That aside, many are the chiefs who have gone the extra mile to redefine their customary role and given it an even more attractive contemporary flavor. The more progressive ones have moved beyond being ceremonial figures with occasional honour and pleasure of palanquin ride and have turned change makers, impacting the very lives of their people.

While it is my wish, and of many other well-meaning Ghanaians that this pleasant appeal about the institution is sustained, it is regrettable to say that our actions and inactions are instead stripping the institution of this reverence and giving it a bad name.

More explicitly put, we are tainting the name of the institution and virtually dragging it into the mud in a manner that should be a source of heartache to culture enthusiasts like me. How many of us will be bold enough to contest the claim that chieftaincy has almost become synonymous with dispute, antagonism and hostility?   

There are raging chieftaincy disputes all over the country that have turned our traditional areas into hot conflict zones, and given our security agencies tough time; I dare say we have even lost count of these because hardly does a week pass without reports of aggression over the accession to one skin or stool.

Smock , better known as Batakari used by chiefs in the northern part of the country

We all saw the Abudus and Andanis of Dagbon take on each other in a recurrent strife with the resultant loss of lives and destruction of properties. The Ga state has had to literally come to a standstill due to the rumpus over succession. The Kumawu, Tuobodom, Kade, Nungua, Akyem Swedru, Yeji, Wa, Nadowli, Suhyen, Abease, Senchi, Buipe, Nakpanduri, Brekum, and Akyem Kotoku areas all took turn to give Ghanaians needless headache over one form of chieftaincy dispute or the other. The violence that rocked Afloa, Bunkpurugu, Bimbilla etc. and attendant fatalities left many with nagging questions if chieftaincy is doing us more harm than good in its current form and practice.

Just a couple of days ago, Yilo Krobo took over the media space with negative, screaming and disgraceful headlines and for several days, the Akuse Police Command had to keep watch over lives and properties. We are also reading about how two chiefs have sprung up each claiming legitimacy to the Bolga skin and the title of Bolga Naba as captured in the Monday May 11, 2015 edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper. The list can go on and on and on from region to region and from one traditional area to another. How much we spend each time to maintain law and order in this conflict zones hardly come into the equation and we bother very little to quantify it. How sad !!!

Our courts are choking with these litigations that have long proven retrogressive and needless and yet very little is being learnt from that, otherwise why would the people of Yilo Krobo plunge their hitherto peaceful Sra community and the Somanya township into this unnecessary  tension and draw dagger over the selection of a successor to the late paramount Chief, Kpetekple Dautey Ologo despite the fact that useful lessons are all over the street in neighbouring Manya Krobo Traditional Area whose people regrettably went down a similar lane just some few year ago?

The traditional stool used by chiefs and queenmothers

The demise of the legendary Krobo King, Oklemekuku Azu Mate-Kole in 1990 set the Manya Krobo State on a road of litigation such that for eight years, the stool remained vacant; this came with its own challenges though the dispute was less violent. But admittedly, that was a sad point in history that every well-meaning Krobo regretted, not when seventeen (17) years after the installation of a successor, the reigning Konor, the smoke of that dispute is still evidently hanging in the air and suffocating us. Believe it or not, there are visible scars that are looking us in the face to remind us of a painful past and to teach us that never again must we toe that lane.    

It would be expected that close as our Yilo brothers are, and falling into the same ethnic bracket with us, they would pick useful lessons and guard their beard with water having seen ours burn with disastrous consequences. But here we are with a worse form of the dispute shamefully and shockingly laced with poisonous bitterness and aggression. Brothers have turned sworn enemies and what used to be a calm neighborhood full of communal spirit and fellow feeling turned into a security zone under armed Police guard and protection because the people (royal?) whose right it is to rule the area disagree over who the next person is to ascend the throne.  

The Nuer and Akrobetto gates are at each other’s throat, claiming the right to install a successor following the passing of the Konor, Nene Ologo, which logically should close a chapter in the history of the reign of the Ologo gate. While the Nuers are claiming lineage to the stool and insisting it is their turn, the Akrobetos are wild with their argument that the Nuers are not an integral part of the house and so cannot claim ancestry to the stool. What is more? There is a new twist to their argument to the effect that the choice made by the Nuers, who has since been installed, has no direct and proven paternal link to the stool.

The truth is and can only be one. Which of these two gates is being greedy? Are the Nuers usurping a role and position that is not theirs and thus pointlessly visiting anarchy on the people of Yilo Krobo or the Akrobetos are dishonorably and jealously denying the former what is rightfully theirs?

The truth should long have been established (if already not known) and strictly gone by, under the direction of the state Elders and/or the Traditional Council (made of the Divisional Chiefs, Asafoatseme, Queenmothers and other such relevant players), but what do we see, a divided house with entrenched positions influenced partly by fleeting self-interest. Why won’t we give the noble institution a bad name and drag it into the gutters with this retrogressive attitude?

Ablade, the royal sandals

Judging from precedents across the country, this divide, this enmity and this broken cord will continue to live with these families and the Yilo state for a long time to come and may even be inherited by upcoming generations.

Isn’t it sad that the living cannot even find a solution to their problems (simple disagreement) and would want to visit their thoughtlessness on the dead who should be taking their deserved rest within the confines of their narrow beds? If we can’t be tolerant and thoughtful enough to sit at the table as kith and kin to resolve our disagreement, why should we go hounding the dead (Nene Ologo) from his sleep far away in the land of our ancestors? If the rumoured exhumation of the remains of the late paramount chief was a cooked story to muddy the waters, then that’s most unfortunate but if indeed it’s true that the tomb was desecrated and the remains “stolen”, then that is even worst and an abomination that should not be taken lightly. 

Seriously, we cannot continue moving in this direction and the earlier this cancerous cell in our society is attended to with all the available prescriptions, the better for us as a people. That is why I find commendable ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture to fashion out the modalities for the drafting and implementation of succession plan for the various stools and skins. It’s a worthy course and must be embraced by all stakeholders to make it a reality soonest.

Our religious groups like the Christian Council and Local Council of Churches and also the local churches must step out of their traditional role of preaching pure gospel and actively lead the way in negotiations and the use of other alternative dispute resolution methods in situations like this. Yes, the court is there for litigation and we each have the right to initiate any action we deem fit but the road must not always lead there not when it has proven less effective in ensuring lasting peace.

Let's also have prominent sons of the areas rising to the occasion and using their respected position and influence to drive dialogue. For now I pray our Yilo Krobo brothers will have a rethink and revert to a less militant approach to resolving the impasse, at least for the sake of the state. Let the well-meaning Krobo and/or discerning reader make meaning of this piece.

The writer is a journalist and a culture enthusiast. He can be contacted by email via klonobi2007@gmail.com

HON. OKLETEY TERLABI MUST HEAR THIS !!!

Hon. Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, MP, Lower Manya Krobo constituency

The Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Hon. Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi has been trending in the media since yesterday. He seems to have taken over the social media space, displacing the likes of Yvonne Nelson and David Oscar who have been top of mind just the days before, thanks to the dumsor debate.  

For most part of yesterday, social media particularly facebook was awash with vituperative comments targeted at the MP for chiding the suffering public and ostensibly remarking that “the effects of dumsor are exaggerated by people who cannot afford to buy fridges or air conditioners in their homes”. This statement opened the flood gate of unsavoury remarks and attacks on him in a manner that gave a clear indication of how frustrated Ghanaians are in the face of the energy crisis. (http://www.ghana-news.adomonline.com/politics/2015/May-11th/only-poor-persons-are-complaining-about-dumsor-ndc-mp.php#sthash.nmY0er3e.dpuf)

I want to admit that though I have read the story online, I am yet to listen to the tape and assess the statement contextually, for which reason I am being measured in my condemnation.

If indeed my MP made the statement as he’s been quoted and with the intent as understood by the average Ghanaian, then that’s very very insensitive and unfortunate and particularly so when one considers his status as a leader- an incumbent MP, one time Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Deputy Defence Minister and until quite recently the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in the same ruling government which should long have found an antidote to the deadly power crisis.

I will be one of the first people to tell him in the face that his comment was a bit of a display of indiscretion and indifference towards the plight of the masses because clearly one does not need to own any of those gadgets he mentioned to feel the burning heat arising out of dumsor. In fact, I don’t own a tea kettle let alone fridge and “air korn” and yet I am painfully feeling the dumsor pinch in all its forms.

You will however agree with me also that fairness demands and it is only appropriate that we condemn him based on what he actually said (and can confirm that indeed he did say) instead of merely hinging our criticism and argument on what the media reports.

One thing we should as well be doing- if our argument should hold- is to analyse his statement or quote in the context as used and not in isolation because the two may give different meaning and MAY not be the same. He could easily have been misunderstood or misrepresented and we must make room for that.

Admittedly most of our media houses here in Ghana thrive on sensationalism for which reason I won’t necessarily take a media report as the truth, (the whole truth and nothing but the truth) and completely rule out the possibility of some reporter mistakenly or wilfully adding his bit to change the import of the statement. Let us convince ourselves, possibly with evidence that he made such a remark as reported and then we can justifiably call for his head.

Meanwhile can someone close to him whisper some advice into his ears to be more strategic with his media appearances? I noticed with restlessness over the past few weeks and month that he’s taken to a more aggressive show-up on radio talk shows, turning himself literally into what has come to be known as “party/political communicator”.

Listening to him on some occasions, it is my opinion that for several reasons (which are better discussed in privacy on the basis that I am one of his constituents) he shouldn't become too popular and regular a commentator (social commentator, if you like) because that comes with its own price, one of which we are experiencing now.

I took the pain to write this because I have been affected by association. Many were those who called to ask why you will make such a statement. There were those who bundled us together as Krobos and told us their piece of mind. Much the same way I was linked today (albeit indirectly), I will be linked when you make us proud and that is what I look forward to again.

LET THE READER MAKE MEANING OF THIS PIECE.

Hon Terlabi, MP, Lower Manya Krobo

MP in kente cloth (extreme right) together with the President (middle) at an event

(NB: Don't hesitate to leave a comment by way of feedback)

LOWER MANYA ASSEMBLY MEMBERS CLASH WITH COORDINATING DIRECTOR, MFO

Mr. John Kofi Adomako, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Lower Manya Krobo

The relationship between Assembly Members of the Lower Manya Krobo on one side and the Coordinating Director of the assembly, Mr. John Kofi Adomako, as well as the Municipal Finance Officer, Jonathan Obeng Yeboah has turned sour with the former calling for the immediate transfer of the two senior officers.

The assembly, as a house, has since passed a resolution and issued a seven day ultimatum after which they will oust the two officials by other means available to them. 

At a general meeting held on Thursday March 19, 2015, members unanimously voted in favour of the motion to have Mr. Adomako transferred without delay from the municipality.

All forty (40) members present at the meeting out of a total membership of 45 supported the motion and directed the Presiding Member, Dr. Peace Mamle Tetteh to take immediate steps to convey the decision of the house to the appropriate authorities for speedy implementation latest Wednesday April 1, 2015 to avoid confrontation.

Out of the forty (40) present, 35 representing more than two-thirds majority of the house also threw their weight behind the decision for the Finance Officer, Mr. Yeboah to be transferred within the same period. 

The honourable members are accusing Mr. Adomako of presiding over corrupt practices at the assembly and using official working hours as well as state resources to transact his personal businesses to the detriment of the assembly. He is hardly at post during working hours and will not co-operate with the house to prosecute the developmental agenda of the assembly even on the few days he shows up at work, they added.

The assembly members are also up in arms against Yeboah for not presenting what they called trial balance, a quarterly report that shows the financial status of the municipal assembly. They said, he has never attended the Finance and Administration Sub-committee meeting, a committee he is supposed to serve as secretary by virtue of his position and would not give any reason neither will he furnish them with the relevant official documents needed for the committee to transact its businesses.

Speaking in an interview, Evans Tamatey, one of the assembly members said, “We want the two officials out; it is a popular decision of the house and this we will pursue to the latter. Their stay will not help the development agenda of the municipality.”

When contacted, Mr. Adomako who is presently indisposed indicated that he was yet to be notified officially but added that the assembly members were aggrieved partly because he raised concerns about their arbitrary increment in sitting allowance from GHC 30.00 to GHC 100.00. He however, denied using office hours and resources for his private business.

The Presiding Member of the Assembly, Dr. Peace Mamle Tetteh and Mr. Yeboah were not readily available for their comments.

On his part the Municipal Chief Executive, (MCE) Hon. Frederinck Jacob Acolatse said though he has reservations about the decision taken by the house which was without recourse to due process such as cautioning the officers or dragging them before the disciplinary committee, it is his wish that the Regional Coordinating Councils transfers the officers in the interest of peace.

Commenting on the performance of Mr. Adomako, the MCE said “He is good and has the experience except that he is slow with his work”. He added that Mr. Yeboah, on the other hand could be facing those challenges as adduced by the assembly members partly because of the lack of a centralized data storage system at the assembly. “The assembly is therefore taking steps to acquire more computers to get the system automated to facilitate the storage and sharing of data”, he emphasized.

KROBO CHIEF, 3 OTHERS IN COURT FOR ALLEDGED KIDNAPPING

Nene Agbau Narh III

A Divisional Chiefs of the Manya Krobo Traditional area, Nene Agbau Narh III, is standing trial together with three others in a Koforidua Circuit Court for an alledged act of kidnapping.

He is currently facing trial together with Mr. Peter Sedjordji Narh, Head of Popotia Limestone Land owners; Daniel Tetteh and Nartey alias Narh, all youth of the area who are additionally standing trial for abetment of crime.

Nene Agbau Narh, who is the Divisional Chief for the Djebiam Clan was arraigned before court on Thursday March 12, 2015 for purportedly kidnapping one Samuel Adjie Paditey, an agent of GHACEM, while the latter was on his usual reconnaissance and prospecting activities at the limestone-rich Popotia area, near Yonguase in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.

Prior to this development, Mr. Paditey was said to have been invited together with the land owners to series of meetings, the last of which was held at the Manya Krobo Customary Lands Secretariat on Thursday February 5, 2015 and instructed by the Chiefs to cease all reconnaissance and prospecting activities since the area in question was not covered by the agreement between the parties.

A trustworthy source indicated that Mr. Paditey and his clients, Ghacem disregarded this directive and have been in active operations there. When on Friday February 20, 2015 the Chiefs had tipoff that Mr. Paditey had defied their directives and was illegally operating in the area in question, Nene Agbau Narh, then acting as the President of the Council dispatched some of his emissaries to summon the former to appear before them. While the messengers were returning from the site with the Mr. Paditey, the Oterkporlu Police had a hint of the issue and swiftly went in to take custody of Mr. Paditey.

He subsequently initiated legal action against Nene and his aides who were then hurled to court on Thursday March 12, 2015.

The four however narrowly escaped remand and were admitted to a GHC 15, 000 bail with two sureties each to reappear on Tuesday March 31, 2015.

Speaking in an interview, the Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the Manya Krobo Traditional Council, Nene Asada Ahor I, who doubles as the Chief of Akuse said, “The unfolding drama between the Council and Ghacem over Popotia is quite a surprise to us because the area is not part of what the Council and the Municipal Assembly legally allotted to Ghacem”. He however declined to comment on the substantive case, adding “We will advise ourselves accordingly after the court’s decision”.

Attempt to reach Mr. Paditey and his counsel for their side of the story yielded no result. 

SUPREME COURT'S RULING ON ASSEMBLY POLLS HAILED

Nene Agbau Narh III, Ag. President of the Manya Krobo Traditional Council and Divisional Chief of Djebiam (Second from left) flanked by Rev. Rt. S. L. Angmor, Nene Asada Ahor I, Chief of Akuse (in red headgear) and Asafoatse Tey Dakli, Suisi Kpongunor at a press conference held on the issue on Wednesday February 25, 2015

The story as captured in page 18 of the Saturday March 7, 2015 edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper

The Chiefs and people of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area who were going to demonstrate on Tuesday March 3, 2015 to prevent the Electoral Commission (EC) from conducting the assembly elections in the Natriku electoral area (Akuse) have hailed the Supreme Court’s decision ordering the postponement of the elections and the start of the entire process all over again.

They said, the decision of the court not only a real victory for democracy in Ghana but an opportunity for the EC to correct the anomaly of wrongly placing the Natriku electoral area under the Shai Osudoku District of the Great Accra Region instead of Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region, contrary to provisions in the 1992 constitution and judgments of the Supreme Court.

The Natriku dilemma

The wrong placement of Natriku in the Shai Osudoku District instead of Lower Manya Krobo Municipality and the determined effort by the EC to hold the March 3, 2015 elections was going to disturb the peace of the area since the Chief and people of Manya Krobo were warming up for a showdown and to resist the EC. They have since served the Akuse District Police Command a notice to embark on a demonstration on Mach 3, 2015.

They indicated that their plan to take to an aggressive street protest to draw public and national attention to the illegality is still on course despite the postponement of the elections.

Hilary Saki Kodji,(Right) spokesperson for Kloma Gbi addressing the press conference

Hilary Saki Kodji, Spokesperson for Kloma Gbi (a Krobo Youth Group at the helm of the campaign) said “By putting Natriku under the Shai Osudoku District (Great Accra Region) instead of Lower Manya Krobo (Eastern Region) not only is the EC breaching Article 5 of the 1992 Constitution, but disregarding the numerous Supreme Court judgments which place the electoral area in question in Lower Manya (Eastern Region).

He wondered why the EC will also ignore the directives from the local Government Ministry which also directs the placement of Natriku in Lower Manya indicated in a letter dated March 14, 2013.

“We are not only out to aggressively defend our rights and heritage but to defend the sanctity of the constitution and ensure that the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land is not taken for granted,” Mr. Kodji said.

Background

Prior to the nationwide assembly elections in 2010, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development initiated an electoral area re-demarcation exercise that ended up changing the boundaries of the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality.

In the said exercise, seven electoral areas originally part of the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region namely Zongo New Town, Akutue, Osorkutu, Bungalow, Natriku, Amedeka and Salon - were illegally aligned to the Shai Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region, creating a constitutional issue which went to the Supreme Court.

The Legislative Instrument (LI 1983) initiated by the Ministry and passed by Parliament to give legal backing to the re-demarcation exercise was declared null and void by a unanimous decision of a nine member panel of the Supreme Court on June 13, 2012.

In a letter from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development dated March 14, 2013 and signed by the then Minister, Hon. Akwasi Oppong-Fosu, clearance was sought for the EC to hold the assembly election  which was suspended in 2010. The letter specifically mentioned the 7 electoral areas that form the Akuse Township including Natriku.

The EC however held the elections but excluded Natriku. Presently the EC is preparing to conduct the upcoming assembly elections at Natriku but under the Shai Osudoku District instead of Lower Manya, an act that runs contrary to the provisions in Article 5 of the Constitution and the 2012 judgment of the Supreme Court.

The chiefs and people are therefore out there to protest the breach of the constitution and the disregard for the authority and rulings of the Supreme Court, since appeals and petitions to the authorities are yielding no result. 

The story as captured in page 18 of the Saturday March 7, 2015 edition of the Daily Graphic Newspaper