Youth Warn Registrar Not To Meddle In Kpone Land Issues …But Kpone Mantse Says Accusation Is Ill-Timed
By Richard Kofi Attenkah
A group calling itself 'Concerned Youth of Kpone' has called on Harry Anthony Attipoe, Registrar of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs (GARHC) to stop meddling in Kpone land issues. The group also called on the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr. Seidu Daanaa to ensure that Mr. Attipoe, who has been transferred to the Volta Region resumes office immediately.
According to the group, Mr. Attipoe was transferred to the Volta Region to take over from one Daniel A. Azah, effective April 1, 2016, but he is still at post and continues to involve himself in the issues of the Kpone Traditional Council (KTC) and their lands.
Addressing a press conference at Kpone on Wednesday, Samuel Nii Noye Adzeman, chairman of the group said: “We invite you here to express our strong objection to the presence of Mr. Harry Attipoe at the Kpone Traditional Council and to a greater extent his involvement in the land affairs of the people of Kpone.
“We want to inform our traditional authorities that Mr. Harry Attipoe is no more assigned to duties in the Greater Accra Region or the Kpone Traditional Council to be specific, so his continual presence at the Kpone Traditional Council might cause chaos in Kpone.
“Therefore, we urge him to stay away from the Kpone Traditional Council or interfere in our land issues. …We plead with the Ministry to ensure that Mr. Harry Attipoe resumes his duties in the Volta Region now. “We want Mr. Harry Attipoe to stop administering our lands for the proper land allocation committee to be constituted by the Traditional Council and the three royal houses”, Nii Noye Adzeman explained.
He continued that they have lots of evidence that Mr. Attipoe has been involving himself in Kpone land issues. The 'Concerned Youth of Kpone' also accused the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) of selling portions of Kpone lands, as well as sharing others among themselves. Cautioning TDC to stay off Kpone lands, the youth also observed: “The government legislative instruments did not put our lands in the hands of Tema Development Corporation for selling and sharing among themselves.
Responding to the issues raised by the youth at a press conference on Friday, Nii Tetteh Otu II-Paramount Chief of the Kpone Traditional Council (KTC), said it is unfortunate the youth have decided to allow politicians to divide their front, saying if they had come to the traditional authorities, they would have known the truth.
To him, the allegation of the youth against Mr. Attipoe as involving himself in Kpone land issues is unfortunate because the KTC has a substantive Registrar in the person of Clement Annan, who has been carrying out all administrative duties at the Council.
Continuing, Nii Tetteh Otu II hinted that the Registrar does not sign land documents and that it is the responsibility of the Land Allocation Committee of the Traditional Council, made up of representatives of the various clans that see to it the release and documentation of lands in the area.
On the subject of the transfer of Mr. Attipoe to the Volta Region, Nii Tetteh Otu II explained that the issue currently seems hanging because members of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs (GARHC), which comprises presidents of all the 12 paramouncies in the Region, have petitioned the Chief of Staff to reverse his decision to transfer the Registrar.
He said they are currently waiting for the response from the Chief of Staff before they can take the necessary action on the matter. The GARHC is made up of all the paramount chiefs in the region, except that of Teshie, which is currently embroiled in chieftaincy crises.
They include; Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku III -Paramount Chief of the Ada Traditional Area and Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru II -Paramount Chief of La Traditional Area, President and Vice President of the Regional House respectively, and Nii Tetteh Otu II -Paramount Chief of the Kpone Traditional Area.
Others are Nii Kojo Ababio V -Paramount Chief of the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Area, Nene Kanor Atiapah III -Ag. President of the Ningo Traditional Area, King Dr. Odaifio Welentsi III -Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area and Nene Atsure Benta III -Ag Paramount Chief of the Prampram Traditional Area.
The rest are Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI -Paramount Chief of the Osu Traditional Area, Nii Adote Obuor II -Paramount Chief of the Sempe Traditional Area and Nii Adjei Kraku II -Paramount Chief of the Tema Traditional Area. On her part, Dorothy Asare Kuma, Public Affairs Manager of TDC has denied all the allegations leveled against her outfit by the Kpone Concern Youth, saying they are mere speculations.
Speaking in a telephone interview with The Chronicle yesterday, she said following similar agitations by the Kpone youth, government directed her outfit to release portions of their lands to the Traditional Council and so TDC gave away all the 220 acres of land they have left, saying she, therefore, does not understand why they are still complaining.
On the issue of TDC selling and sharing Kpone lands among themselves, Madam Dorothy advised that if any member of the youth have prove, they should come forward with it.