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30.08.2007 General News

Osu Chief’s Office Pulled Down

By Daily Guide
Osu Chiefs Office Pulled Down
30.08.2007 LISTEN

HEAVILY ARMED Police personnel accompanied by officials of the Lands Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) yesterday stormed the offices of the Osu Traditional Council near the Ako Adjei Interchange and bulldozed the structure down to 'ground zero'.

When DAILY GUIDE got to the place, the demolishing exercise had already been expeditiously executed, leaving in its wake, confused officials of the Osu Traditional Council who had gathered to pick their bits and pieces and strategise their next line of action.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, the Osu Mankralo, Nii Ako Nortei IV said they were not informed by the AMA of the demolishing exercise, and described the action as illegal.

He noted that the Council heard of the exercise only after the building had been pulled down, alleging that when the police and AMA officials got to the Council premises, they seized the mobile phones of workers in the office and disconnected the landlines ostensibly to prevent all forms of communication between those in the office and the outside world.

According to the Osu Mankralo, the Osu Traditional Council was engaged in a legal tussle with the Metropolitan Insurance Company Limited over the rightful ownership of the parcel of land on which the office structure stood.

Nii Nortei claimed that on two occasions, the case was brought before an Accra High Court where judgement went in favour of the Osu Traditional Council.

Showing documents on the case to this reporter, Nii Mankralo said the Metropolitan Insurance Company Limited had filed the suit against the 'wrong man' who paraded himself as the Osu Mantse.

In an affidavit in support of motion for stay of execution and for an order setting aside judgement filed at an Accra High Court of Justice-Fast Track Division in 2006, Nii Mankralo said:

“That I am not a party to the said suit, and I have not given consent or power to the Defendant (in apparent reference to Nii Nortey Owuo II who was accused of usurping the stool name 'Osu Mantse') to represent me and to decide on my rights in any property”.

The plaintiffs in the case are Ikohops Investment Ltd and Metropolitan Insurance Company Ltd while the defendants are Nii Nortey Owuo II and Nii Ako Nortey IV.

Nii Mankralo contended that Nii Owuo was not the legitimate man to have gone into the legal battle with the other contenders.

“That the Defendant only parades himself as Osu Mantse, but he is not the Osu Mantse, and the determination of his status as a mantse is pending before the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs which has made an order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining him from acting as Mantse of Osu.”

Nii Mankralo maintained further that not having “consented to nor having given authority to the Defendant to represent me in any suit, including the present suit, the Honourable Court was misled by the parties in the present suit to enter judgement against me”.

He denied being a party to the suit, noting that any judgement made by the court could adversely affect him.

The Osu Mankralo insisted that he intended to join in the suit and make a counterclaim against the Plaintiffs.

“That the Osu Traditional Council is in possession of the property, the subject matter of the suit, and the Defendant is not the proper person to be sued as he is not the Mantse of Osu even though he purports to be the Mantse of Osu,” he explained.

Nii Mankralo therefore petitioned the court to set aside the judgement and the claim against him, adding that the case must be heard on its merits.

Unfortunately, while the Osu Traditional Council was said to be awaiting that ruling, the AMA and its 'allies' took them by surprise and demolished the edifice.

Asked about the Council's next line of action, Nii Mankralo pointed out that they would consult their lawyers for advice.

Miss Gifty Commey, a Secretary at the Secretariat alluded to the seizure of their mobile phones, and said the police brought some men along to help them moved their property from the rooms before the structure was pulled down.

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