<<Print>>

Scores of youth at Larteh-Akuapem went on rampage last Saturday in an attempt to destool the Lartehhene and Benkumhene of the Akuapem Traditional Area, Osabarima Asiedu Okoo Ababio. They were said to have fired several warning shots to scare people away, after which they attempted to burn down the chief�s palace. Fortunately, they were unsuccessful. The youth, however, destroyed six electric bulbs and assaulted the caretaker before the police arrived at the palace to restore order. They had slaughtered a sheep about 20 metres away from the palace to signify their alleged destoolment of the chief. When the Daily Graphic arrived at Larteh-Akuapem around 2:30 p.m. yesterday, calm had been restored in the town but policemen were still patrolling the palace area to prevent any aberration of the law. Speaking to the Daily Graphic at the palace, Osabarima Okoo Ababio said he suspected that the raiding of the palace had been instigated by certain people within the Benkum Divisional Council who wanted to perpetuate their interest. Background In 1993, there arose a dispute between Akropong, the seat of the Akuapem Paramountcy, and Abiriw over a piece of land and that degenerated into a conflict. Eventually the people of Okere (the Nifa Division), Larteh (the Benkum Division) and Aburi (the Adonten Division) seceded from Akropong and formed their own paramountcies. However, after a peace process jointly initiated by the National Peace Council, the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Akuapem Traditional Council, the Adonten, Nifa and Benkum Divisional councils decided to rejoin the Akuapem Traditional Council, 20 years after they had seceded. Although Osabarima Ababio declined to give reasons behind their withdrawal from the council 20 years ago, he said the decision to rejoin the council did not go down well with some sub-chiefs within the Benkum Division. Supporting the decision According to Osabarima Ababio, his decision to back the decision of the President of the Akuapem Traditional Council, Nana Addo Dankwa, to appoint a Kyidomhene from the Mamfe Stool incurred the displeasure of those sub-chiefs. He stated that some sub-chiefs had, before the reunification on December 18, 2013, wanted to be enstooled as the Benkumhene, a development which he said had triggered the violence last Saturday. The matter, he said, had been reported to the police and gave an assurance that calm had been restored. Police patrol For his part, the Divisional Commander of the Akropong Divisional Command, Chief Superintendent Amoh Ayisi, said police men had been dispatched to the palace to maintain law and order. He confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the names of some of the alleged perpetrators had been submitted to the police but stated that no arrest had been made. Mr Amoh Ayisi said investigations were still ongoing and pleaded for calm in the area.