Sale of Sunyani lands...DORMAA CHIEF REACTS (PAGE 23, JAN 6, 2010)

Barely two weeks after the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, had warned the Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, against the sale of Sunyani lands, the Dormaa Traditional Council has rebutted, calling the claim by the Sunyanihene a bluff.
The council said it considered the utterances, accusations and threats by the Sunyanihene as not only unfortunate but total falsehood, calculated to distort historical facts to attract undue public sympathy to the detriment of the long-existing peace-loving and law- abiding Dormaa State.
At a press conference in Sunyani, Nana Nkrawiri had also called on the Dormaahene to close down the office of the Dormaa Stool Land Secretariat in Sunyani, since it was creating tension between the two traditional areas.
Addressing a similar press conference at the Abranpediase Palace at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region, Osagyefo Agyeman Badu, who is the President of the traditional council, said he and the entire membership of the council expressed ‘‘shock and dismay at the utterances, claims and even threats’’ by the Sunyanihene, as was carried by the December 17, 2009 issue of the Daily Graphic”.
Flanked by his sub and divisional chiefs, who wore mourning cloths, the Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area said, ’’We vehemently refute the Sunyanihene’s allegation that the Dormaahene has been selling Sunyani lands.”
He stressed that, ‘‘Indeed and in fact, the Dormaahene does not share any common boundary with Sunyanihene but rather with Domasehene, since time immemorial.’’
The Omanhene, who showed some documentary proof, explained that the boundary with the Domase Stool was marked by the Gubre stream, which he said flowed into the Bisi stream and far beyond, pointing out that important land marks, buildings and institutions such as the Sunyani Municipal Hospital, the Regional Hospital, the Nurses’ Quarters and the Pastoral Centre, were all located within Dormaa Stool Lands.
He further indicated that indeed, the sub-urban settlement of Penkwase, a suburb of Sunyani, was also part of Dormaa Stool Lands.
Again, the Dormaahene explained that the Sunyanihene’s allegation that the Dormaahene had trespassed beyond the Tyco Filling Station at Abisim to as far as the Police Barrier, near the Sunyani Senior High School, was also totally unfounded.
He declared, ‘‘The Dormaahene has indeed been in an effective and absolute control of all his traditional environs, including Abesim, Bomaa and Chiraa as far back as the 17th Century.”
Osagyefo Agyeman Badu, himself a member of the Bench, emphasised that the Sunyanihene’s ultimatum to him for the immediate closure of the Dormaa Stool Land Secretariat in Sunyani was most unfortunate, saying even granted that the office was located on Sunyani Stool Land, there was hardly any restriction that prevented the operations of a lawfully established office in any part of the country from providing legitimate services to the general public, Sunyani being no exception.
‘‘We deem the Sunyanihene’s ultimatum to close down the office a mere rhetoric and that the Dormaa Traditional Council at its end-of-year meeting has unanimously decided to rename the building which houses the Dormaa Stool Land Secretariat in Sunyani as ‘‘Aduana House’’ with effect from January 1, 2010,” he again declared.
He emphasised that the Dormaahene and members of the traditional council would be the last traditional authority in the country to condone and connive in the activities of ‘‘land guards’’ in any part of the country, and therefore the Sunyanihene’s allegation in that regard was once again totally false and unfounded.
According to him, as a fellow custodian of treasured customs and tradition, ‘‘One would have expected the Sunyanihene in the first instance to have acted with decorum by resorting to our traditional means of seeking redress in matters of this nature involving two traditional areas.”
‘‘In the unfortunate circumstances, therefore, the Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeyo Agyeman Badu II, and his chiefs have no other alternative than resorting to this same medium to set the records straight for the benefit of the general public.’’