Chief of Jacobu says he stands for peace

Jacobu (Ash), Sept. 5, GNA - Nana Fosu Kwadwo Abrei II, chief of Jacobu in the Amansie Central district of Ashanti has denied allegations that he had been destooled for illegally selling land.

He has therefore challenged anybody who has proof to the effect that he had sold land to come forward to prove his case.

Reacting to the allegations at Jacobu at the weekend, Nana Fosu also described as "untrue" allegations by the interim queenmother of Jacobu that he had changed his stool name to Nana Fosu Kwabi. He explained that he only added the Kwabi to his name and not that he had changed his name completely.

Nana Fosu, who is also the Benkumhene of Bekwai traditional area and headmaster of Komfo Anokye Secondary School at Wiamoase, said it was the acting queenmother who organised some people to slaughter a ram to indicate that he had been destooled.

He said in line with custom, if he had been destooled, a portion of the ram should have been given to him and the Abusuapanin to signify his expulsion.

"But all these were not done," he added.

The Jacobuhene said the acting queenmother had taken advantage of her being introduced to the Bekwaihene and queenmother as the messenger of the aged queenmother to "ditch" him.

He accused the queenmother of creating unnecessary tension in the newly created district.

Nana Fosu said he cherished peace and would therefore do everything possible for peace to reign in the town for the needed development for the new district.

Nana Fosu Boahen, Abusuapanin of Jacobu, confirmed the Jacobuhene's story that he had not been destooled. The Abusuapanin explained that in the first week of August, this year, the caretaker queenmother sent a message to him that the Bekwaihene was coming down to Jacobu to install a new Jacobuhene on Monday, August 16.

He said he drove the messengers away telling them that it was uncustomary for the Bekwaihene to install a chief and that it was the nominated chief of Jacobu who should go to Bekwai to be sworn in. The Abusuapanin said he had petitioned the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to resolve the impasse between the Jacobuhene and Bekwaihene and that they were ready to apologise to the Bekwaihene if the Jacobuhene had wronged him.

He called for calm to enable the new district to move forward and also appealed to the acting queenmother to stop "hopping from one radio station to the other washing their dirty linen in public." 05 Sep. 05