Learn from Akuapem experience in resolving chieftaincy disputes - President
President John Dramani Mahama has asked traditional areas embroiled in chieftaincy disputes to learn from the experience of Okuapeman, which managed to resolve a protracted dispute amicably.
He mentioned specifically Dagbon, Bawku and Alavanyo-Nkonya as some of the conflict areas which needed to turn to Okuapeman for lessons.
For 20 years, all the divisions of the Akuapem Traditional Area broke away from the age-old union, which led to serious security concerns and threatened to break the enviable Okuapeman state and its traditions.
Within that period, the people disagreed among themselves before deciding to bury the hatchet last year with the breakaway divisions returning to offer their allegiance to the Okuapehene.
Speaking at the joint 40th anniversary of the enstoolment of Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III as Okuapehene and the celebration of this year’s Odwira festival at Akropong-Akuapem yesterday, the President said chieftaincy disputes were destructive and must not be entertained under any circumstance.
It was the first Odwira celebration after the resolution of the dispute.
Mr Mahama expressed delight that the request he made to the chiefs to let peace prevail, when he was the Vice-President, had achieved results.
He commended the Okuapehene and all the other chiefs who decided to let peace prevail, saying the move gave credence to the image of Okuapeman as a land of peace and understanding.
Rich culture
The rich tradition and culture of the traditional area was at display as the chiefs and queenmothers in all their royalty rode in palanquins and danced to the throbbing fontomfrom drums.
A large number of sons and daughters of the traditional area from far and near turned up at the durbar grounds at the PTC Park to honour the Okuapehene, who is seen as a symbol of peace and development of the area.
Also in attendance was former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the 2012 presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, some ministers of state, parliamentarians and members of the diplomatic corps.
Before delivering his address, President Mahama displayed rare political maturity when he drew the attention of the gathering to an omission by the person who introduced the dignitaries for not mentioning Nana Akufo-Addo’s name.
“My brother and friend Nana Akufo-Addo was unfortunately not introduced and I wish to recognise his presence,” he said to a loud applause from the gathering.
Akuapem qualities
Akuapem, President Mahama stated, had always been an area of peace and civility and urged the people to strive to maintain that dignity.
He also congratulated Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa on 40 years of progress, saying he had distinguished himself as a chief and statesman.
Cholera
President Mahama urged the people of the area to continue to keep a clean environment to avoid contracting cholera.
Expressing concern about the cholera outbreak that hit parts of the country affecting over 17,000 people, the President said the development was as a result of poor personal hygiene.
“The district assemblies cannot come to your surroundings to clean them. You have to do it to complement the efforts of the assemblies in keeping your communities clean,” he advised.
Okuapehene
In a welcome speech read on his behalf, the Okuapehene said the traditional area had learnt from the chieftaincy dispute and noted that never again would they swim in similar waters.
He disclosed that the traditional council had initiated the construction of a cultural centre for the Akuapem Traditional Area and called on the people to support in cash and kind to make the project a reality.
He called on the Ghana Cocoa Board to support the development of Akuapem to give meaning to the area as the birthplace of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, who is an uncle of the Okuapehene, said Ghanaians were one people and there was no way that mere cultural or ethnic differences should divide them.
