New Juaben stool lands board inaugurated

A 12-member board to administer and protect stool lands in the New Juaben Traditional Area has been officially inaugurated at Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.

The board named the New Juaben Customary Stool Lands Secretariat has the Apagyahene, Nana Kwame Duah as the Chairman with the Ankobeahene of Suhyen, Baffour Asare Ankomah, as the Secretary.

Other members are the Coordinator, Kwaku Anim; Surveyor, Prosper Agbenyegah; Kwame Opoku Nelson; the Oyokohene, Nana Osei Bonsu Sempeh II and the Effiduase Dabihene, Nana Baffour Asare.

The rest are the Asokorehene, Baffour Oduro Asare; the Adaahene, Nana Agyei Sarpong, the Suhyenhemaa, Nana Amoanimaa Kukudrufour; the Akwadumhemaa, Nana Addowaa Anima and the Akyempemhene of New Juaben, Nana Yaw Boateng.

Encroachment

Inaugurating the board at the Yiadom Hwedie Palace, the headquarters of the paramountcy last week Monday, the Omanhene, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, said most of the stool lands within New Juaben had been encroached upon, hence the setting up of the board to protect the lands.

Daasebre Kwaku Boateng who indicated it was the first time such board had been formed, asked the members to be humble in the course of their duties.

He told the board members they had been given the job to do because he had confidence in them and expressed the hope that they would not be found wanting.

Daasebre Boateng advised the board to work with humility.

In response, the Chairman of the Board, Nana Kwame Duah said the board would ensure that traditional lands and government lands would be documented and properly accounted for.

He said the traditional area had lost huge revenue in the past because they did not even know where the lands were located and had no proper documentation.

That, Nana Duah stated, had affected the traditional area’s quest to generate the needed revenue to undertake development.

Appreciation

He expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in them and gave an assurance that the board would work hard to deliver on its mandate.

Nana Duah was optimistic that members would bring their respective expertise on board to support the traditional area to move forward in terms of development.

He was, therefore, hopeful that the formation of the board would put an end to land litigation in the traditional area.

He thanked the Omanhene for the honour done them and gave the assurance that the board would perform its job expeditiously.