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23.05.2015 Social News

Sunyani Kurontire Division denies allegations

23.05.2015 LISTEN
By GNA


Sunyani, May 23, GNA - The Kurontire Division of the Sunyani Traditional Council on Tuesday denied allegation that it was selling out portions of land at the Sunyani Senior High School.

It said it has given the authorities a five-day ultimatum to provide empirical evidence on the allegations or face the wrath of the Kurontire stool.

At a news conference in Sunyani, Oboaman Bofotia Boamponsem, the Kurontihene of the Sunyani Traditional Council, said widespread allegation had dented and exposed the stool's name to public ridicule and disrepute.

Flanked by other family heads and clad in funeral cloth, Oboaman Boamponsem challenged the school's authorities that he would abdicate the Kurontire stool if they were able to prove their claims.

He advised the school to retract the allegation, render unqualified apology and pacify the stool.

Last Wednesday, students of the Sunyani Senior High School joined the Old Students Association, to embark on a peaceful demonstration to register their displeasure against encroachment on the school's land.

Clad with red arm bands, the more than 3,000 protestors, held placards, and paraded through the principal streets of the Municipality, amidst brass band music.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read 'don't sell our lands-Sunyani Kurontihene', 'We need our lands back', and 'Our lands are being taken away by encroachers', and 'Nana Sunyanihene don't allow Kurontihene to override you'.

The demonstrators later converged at the Brong-Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) premises where the leaders of the Association presented a petition to the Regional Minister.

Mr. Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the Brong-Ahafo Regional President of the Association, alleged that there was the indiscriminate selling of the school's lands to individuals and estate developers by the Sunyani Traditional Council.

According to him, the encroachers had started developing portions of the about 466 acres of land, and the RCC and key actors in education ought to intervene.

Mr. Tuah-Yeboah threatened that the Association would resort to legal action if efforts to restore the school's property failed.

Mr. Justice Samuel Adjei, the Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, who received the petition on behalf of the RCC, assured the demonstrators that the Council would meet as soon as possible on the matter.

He emphasized that dialogue was required in addressing such matters, and asked the demonstrators to exercise restraint.

Mr. Adjei, also an old student of the school, said he was unhappy about the action of the protestors, stressing that demonstration was not the best option in addressing grievances

GNA

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