Kpone Chieftaincy Registrar Condemns Media Attacks On Him

Minister-designate for Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Dr. Henry Seidu Daanaa

Mr. Harry Anthony Attipoe, registrar of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs has slammed Nii Tettey Iddrissu Mansro who claims he is the regent and an elder of Appolonia in the Kpone-Katamanso district for organizing a section of the Tema press to launch a media attack on him.

According to Mr. Attipoe, who doubles as the registrar of the Kpone Traditional Council (KTC) the so-called regent used the media to misinform the general public that the youth of Kpone have hit the street to demonstrate for his removal from office as the registrar for KTC.

He also expressed discontent over certain statements made by Nii Mansro, which according to him, are carefully calculated to throw dust into the eyes of the general public.

He has therefore send a word of caution to Nii Mansro and his cohorts who are determined to prosecute what he described as malicious and wicked agenda against him to beware of what they put out into the public's domain.

Mr. Attipoe expressed shock at the reporters who thronged his office to get his opinion on the issue, that despite the fact that he took his time to explain everything to them without hiding anything, they still went ahead to twist and misrepresent the facts of the story to mean that he has been exposed of some wrong doings.

He hinted that in the first place, Mr. Mansro is not the regent of Appolonia as he claims; neither is he an elder of the town in question and advised him to desist from carrying himself around in the above capacities.

He disclosed that as far as he was concerned the only regent Appolonia has seen in the last 50 years is one Numo Elisha Dortey, who was appointed by the late Nii Tei Adumoah II, the immediate past chief of the town in consultation with his elders about two years ago, when it became obvious that he was too weak to continue to rule the town all by himself.

The Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs registrar was reacting to a publication, which appeared on modernghana.com, a local news website on 15th October, 2014 under the caption; “Kpone House Of Chiefs Registrar Exposed! …As Regent Demands His Sack”.

In the said publication, Nii Tettey Mansro appealed to the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Dr. Henry Siedu Daanaa, to as a matter of urgency send a substantive Registrar to the Kpone Traditional Council as the current Registrar, Harry Attipoe is busy with activities at both the Kpone Traditional Council and the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs.

Mr. Mansro and his so-called elders about six months ago, filed a writ at the KTC to challenge, what he described as the illegal enstoolment of a new chief for Appolonia, Nii Nuertey Amobi II about nine months ago.

Unfortunately, on Friday, 3rd October, 2014 the case was heard by the judicial committee of the KTC and a week later, the committee dismissed their application purely on technical grounds.

Claiming to be the kingmakers of Appolonia; Mansro and his elders decided to file an appeal at the Traditional Council to ensure that they overturn the earlier decision of the judicial committee in their favour so that they can enstool a chief of their choice in the town.

“The fact is one man cannot occupy two positions at the same time. The Registrar of a traditional Council plays a critical role in ensuring the effective day to day administration of the Council and registers all legal suits filed accordingly by aggrieved persons”, Nii Mansro indicated.

Nii Mansro alleged that the KTC Registrar was deliberately frustrating his efforts and that of his elders from filing their appeal, hence their called on the sector minister to remove him from the Kpone office.

Reacting to the publication, Mr. Attipoe said about a year ago, he received a letter from the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture to take over the administration of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and have an oversight responsibility over the Kpone office, until a substantive officer is appointed to take charge of the Kpone office.

He explained that since taking over the two positions, he has discharged his duties with due diligence to the admiration of the sector Minister, stating that as a result of the nature of the jobs, he has days he goes to the Kpone office and days he works at the Dodowa office.

He indicated that on Friday, 10th October, 2014 the judicial committee of the Traditional Council heard the case; unfortunately their application was dismissed purely on technical grounds.

The following Monday, around 05.30 hours, Nii Mansro called him on his cell phone and informed him that he intends to file an appeal of the case that morning, but he (Mr. Attipoe) told him that he won't go to the Kpone office on that day, therefore he can file it on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Perhaps dissatisfied with his explanation, Mansro turned up at the office at around 9.30am in the company of hoards of reporters to file his appeal, but he was informed that it is only the Registrar who has the capacity to receive such suits, but since he was not at the office, he has to come back the following day.

But the discontent Mansro started ranting and raving, and used the media to create the impression that the youth of Kpone were demonstrating for the removal of Mr. Attipoe from the Kpone office.

He further directed the reporters to go to the office of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs at Dodowa to find out from him why he does not want to receive his appeal suit.

Mr. Attipoe explained further that ever since he took over as the registrar for the KTC about 12 years ago, Nii Mansro and his group have done everything within their powers to either remove him from office or get him transferred from Kpone so that they can manipulate the system to suit their whims and caprices, but to no avail.

“What it means therefore is that, they have done all that they can to either remove me from this office or get me transferred from here, but to no avail. I am sure they think this is the opportune time for them to get me out of Kpone to enable them go ahead with their schemes, so that they can have access to Appolonia lands, but it won't work. They will fail”, he warned.

“In the chieftaincy law, there is nothing like regent, and therefore I will advise Nii Tettey Mansro to desist from carrying himself about as a chief, because regents are not chiefs”, the chieftaincy expert pointed out.