Tension At Ellembelle Over Chieftaincy

Tension is brewing at Ellembelle district in the Western Region as the chief and people of Esiama are up in arms against the president of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Amihere Kpainyinli III.

This follows an alleged decision by the president of the council to demote Nana Kofi Ampoe IV, chief of Esiama, from a divisional chief to Odikro (a lesser chief).

The reason for the alleged demotion was that the people of Esiama celebrated the annual Kundum festival against a decision by the traditional council not to celebrate it.

The Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, led by Awulae Amihere Kpainyinli III, cautioned the communities in the area not to celebrate the festival because of the Ebola disease.

According to the council, since people from some neighbouring West African countries do attend the festival, it decided to ban the celebration to avoid the spread of the disease in the area.

However, the chief and the people of Esiama allegedly defied the ban and went ahead to celebrate the Kundum festival.

As a form of punishment, the traditional council has therefore decided to demote Esiama from a divisional status to Odikro.

This, the people of the town had opposed and so had declared that they no more owed allegiance to the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council.

Addressing a press conference at Esiama yesterday, the people declared, “Esiama is independent as from today. Esiama does not owe allegiance to the traditional council.”

Speaking on behalf of the people, Rev Alfred Armoo, vice chairman of Esiama Development Committee, noted that the people were not wrong in celebrating the festival.

“The Ebola disease has not been found in Ghana and so why should we stop the celebration of a festival which helps bring development to our areas,” he asked.

He could not fathom why the traditional council saw nothing wrong in the organisation of some social events, including the coronation of three chiefs and the funeral rites of some deceased ones.

Rev Alfred Armoo stated that the paramount chiefs of Axim and Nsien also celebrated the festival but the council saw nothing wrong with that.

According to him, suspending the celebration of the festival because of Ebola, would stigmatize Esiama and Nzemaland and create problems in the area.

“Suspending Kundum will deny the indigenes and visitors alike a      once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate their culture,” the Rev. minister added.

He indicated that the mode of the announcement about the demotion of the Esiama chief without utilising laid down traditional procedures, was a slap in the face of the people of Esiama.

“This could have sparked an ethnic conflict but for the maturity of the citizens, particularly the youth of Esiama,” Rev Alfred Armoo stressed.

He accused the president of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council of hiding behind the Ebola issue to take over Esiama so that he could sell lands in the area.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Esiama