Denkyira Chiefs Want Govt To Reconsider Decision

Minister of Local Government - Samuel Ofosu Ampofo

Minister of Local Government - Samuel Ofosu Ampofo The Chiefs of the Denkyira State have issued threats to government to reconsider the citing of a new district capital, Hemang, in the Central Region.

The chiefs said if government goes ahead to inaugurate the new capital at Hemang, the Denkyira people and communities would boycott all activities at the assembly.

At a press conference addressed by Nana Ama Ayensua Sraha, Queen of the Denkyira state, the chiefs stated that if the government does nothing to reconsider citing the new capital at Jukwa, which was the constituency capital, the people of Denkyira would not be part of the new district.

They threatened that if Jukwa was not made the capital, they would refuse to pay any revenue, majority of which comes from the Lower Denkyira area, to the new Hemang Lower Denkyira district assembly or take part in any activity at the new assembly.

All the chiefs who attended the press conference including Odeafou Boa Amponsem III, Omanhen of the Denkyira state, were clad in red and black which they said indicated the seriousness of the issue.

Nana Sraha said the Denkyira State found it expedient to express their strongest regret and disappointment at the show of contempt, disrespect and dislike for Denkyira state by the government.

“We are amazed that government is gradually drawing itself into a serious potential conflict. We feel government has taken an entrenched stance to slight Lower Denkyira in this matter regardless of the peoples feelings, sensibilities as well as the rule of law and facts on the ground.

Last year government announced the creation of new districts including the Hemang Lower Denkyira with Hemang as the capital.

Nana Sraha said facts on the ground indicate that Jukwa deserved the capital of the new district.

She stated that Jukwa is centrally positioned and more easily accessible to all parts of the district.

Also, she stated that while Hemang is only 10km from the current district capital, Twifo Praso, Jukwa is 55km from Twifo Praso moreover, Jukwa has more towns, villages and settlements surrounding it than Hemang.

Nana Sraha said the vast Jukwa Stool lands are vested in the chiefs and people of Lower Denkyira and are not under any litigation, unlike Hemang Lands which are owned by the Ellis and Wood families of Cape Coast and Anomabu and which constitute the subject matter of various litigations.

She said already, the chiefs and people of Lower Denkyira have allocated over 50 acres of land at Jukwa for the new district assembly.

Nana Sraha said while the Jukwa market is one of the busiest and most patronised, Jukwa has other infrastructural facilities to host the district capital.

She said when government announced the citing of the new capital, the chiefs of Denkyira appealed to government in the form of petition to the president through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and sent some to parliament and other relevant committees but received no response.

Nana Sraha said the fears of the Denkyira people have deepened as various documents tabled in parliament depicted several omissions indicative of government’s intention to sideline the people of Lower Denkyira.

For instance, she said almost all of the electoral areas falling under Lower Denkyira were omitted.

She said there was no mention of the two areas councils in the Lower Denkyira area in the Legislative Instrument (LI) establishing the district, creating the impression that there was only the Hemang Area Council in the new district.

She called on government to work to rectify the situation for peace to prevail in the area.