Akyem Kotoku Tradition Council warns public against repulsive commentary
The Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council has urged the public to desist from commentary that impugns the integrity of the Omanhene of Akyem Kotoku, Oseadeeyo Dr Frimpong Manso IV, the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council and the entire Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area.
It stated that recent claims that the Omanhene had been arrested over alleged involvement in illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey in local circles, were unfounded and without basis.
At a news conference in Oda last Sunday, leading members of the Traditonal Council, including the Krontihene, Obrempong Saforo Kyere; Gyaasehene, Obrempong Kwasi Amo Kyeretwie, and Kotoku Akwanserahene, Nana Kwame Akomeah, took turns to deny the allegations after an emergency meeting at the Omanhene’s palace at Akyem Oda.
News conference
Speaking at the news conference, the Omanhene said he abandoned a lucrative medical practice at a private hospital he owned in the United States to assume the chieftaincy role 26 years ago when his people called.
He said after his installation, he realised that a large number of his people were unemployed, so he acquired a mining concession from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resorces to establish a small scale mining company called Chester Gold Enterprise at Amenam, near New Abirem, and engaged some of the youth for them to earn a living.
Oseadeeyo Dr Frimpong Manso, while displaying relevant documents obtained from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agency for his mining firm, said in 2023, an individual acquired one of the three mining concessions allocated to the Amenam Community for small scale mining by forcibly taking all the three concessions with impunity through intimidation of the citizens.
The Omanhene alleged that an official of a mining company managed to acquire mining lease on January 3, 2025, only four days before the current government would assume power, to mine in the three concessions which had earlier been allocated to the Amenam Community.
The Omanhene further stated that the said official forcibly claimed the Omanhene’s concession where he had set up his offices.
Arrests
Oseadeeyo Frimpong Manso said last Friday, the official in question, accompanied by policemen from Accra and some bloggers, arrested two Chinese aged over 60 years who had been employed by the Omanhene to do geological assessments and establish a laboratory on his concession, and detained them at the National Police Headquarters.
The Omanhene said when he presented his legal documents to the police at the Police Headquarters to explain matters to them, the two Chinese were immediately released.
He said the official in question caused the bloggers to publish on social media that the Omanhene had been detained alongside the two Chinese at the Police Headquarters.
He said based on the false publications on social media, some people who were neither kingmakers nor from the Frimpong Manso Royal Family slaughtered a ram claiming to have destooled the Omanhene because of the alleged incarceration.
The Wing Chiefs and leading members of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council slaughtered a ram and poured libation during the emergency meeting of the traditional council to counteract the curse.
They have since reported the conduct of the suspects to the Akyem Oda Divisional Police Command.
