Tension brews in Effiduase as family rejects destoolment of chief who resisted controversial sale of COVID-19 cemetery land – Nsemkeka
The town of Effiduase in New Juaben Traditional Area was thrown into a near controversy when armed police officers from the Police Intelligence Department ( PID) stormed the palace of the Ekuasehene, Okatakyie Opoku Oware ,who opposed the sale of some acres of public cemetery land.
The police reportedly fired gunshots amidst resistance from residents who support the chief’s decision to oppose the sale of the land by the Chief of Effiduase, Okoawia Dwomoh Baabu.
On Sunday, the Effiduasehene, Nana Okowia Dwumo Baabu, announced that he had destooled the Ekuasehene for purported insubordination.
This was after Okatakyie Opoku Oware reportedly resisted the sale of a portion of the Effiduase Public Cemetery, where COVID-19 victims were buried, to a private developer for seven hundred thousand cedis ( GHC700,000).
The Effiduase chief’s decision compelled the Ekuase Bretuo Royal Family to dismiss the destoolment, describing it as unlawful and without basis.
The head of the Ekuase Bretuo Family, Opanyin Kwame Nyarko, head of the Ekuase family stool declared that the Effiduasehene holds no traditional authority to destool their chief.
“It is only the Bretuo Royal Family that has the customary mandate to install or remove the Ekuasehene. This attempted destoolment is null and void,” he said
Tension escalated further when more armed police personnel were allegedly deployed to the palace area. The officers were reportedly acting under the instructions of Police Superintendent Eric Gyebi who was enstooled under controversial circumstances as Apagyahene of the Effiduase.
When contacted,the Chief of Ekuase, Okatakyie Opoku Oware urged the public to disregard the purported destoolment, assuring residents of his determination to protect public lands and resist what he described as the indiscriminate sale of communal properties.
“I will continue to fight for the future generation against the wrongful sale of public lands and other abuses within the traditional system,” he vowed.