The Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region has cautioned some self-titled chiefs in the area to stop attacking the MP for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Mr. George Mireku-Duker for committing no offense.
On Friday, August 7, 2020, the Tarkwa-Nsuaem NDC Parliamentary candidate, Mr. John Justice Abban alias DJ accused the MP and Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Mr. Benjamin Kessie for deliberately ordering armed security personnel to stop him to construct a 20-seater toilet facility for Dompim Community.
Mr. Justice Abban disclosed to the media that he sought approval from the Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council before embarking on the project adding that, "I find it very strange because the Chiefs gave me the land to construct the toilet facility for them but we only came to the site to perform the sod cutting ceremony to see armed police men telling us to stop because the MP had told them to stop me not to construct it".
On the same day, some residents who described themselves floating voters and members of the Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council, accused the MP and MCE who are natives of the area not to step foot there to eat and drink any water.
They summoned them to gods of the area to deal with the MP and his MCE anytime they drink water and eat in the area.
However, some chiefs of the area on Tuesday, August, 11, 2020, on Class FM, accused the MP George Mireku-Duker for allegedly instructing police to disrupt the sod-cutting ceremony for the work to start on the said 20-seater toilet facility by the NDC Parliamentary candidate.
According to them, Mr. George Mireku-Duker should render an unqualified apology to the good people of Dompim for his act.
Speaking to Class FM, a self-styled Advisor to the Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council, Tufohene Nana Awuah Kuampong VII described the action by the MP as unfortunate and indicated that he "disgraced the chiefs" and disrupted the programme.
He noted that both Mr Duker and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Tarkwa Nsuaem, Benjamin Kesse, hail from Dompem, but failed to build a community toilet for the people despite countless appeals by chiefs to their offices.
Nana Kuampong VII stated: “Their action [The MP and MCE] is highly unacceptable because we begged them to help us to construct the toilet for the people but they did not honour our call only for the NDC candidate, who is seeking to be MP for the area to be ambushed and humiliated this way”.
“He [Mireku Duker] is ashamed that he did not build the toilet for the people but a mere citizen without government resources had to take the bold step.”
But in a statement issued by the Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council and signed its Secretary and Twafouhene, Nana Nyakefole and copied to the media stated that, "The Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council wishes to a strong caution to those carrying themselves as Chiefs and Elders of Dompim Pepesa".
The statement stressed that, "There has been visual and audio circulation in the media space that the traditional leaders of Dompim Pepesa has reigned curses on the Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency Honourable George Mireku-Duker and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Honourable Benjamin Kessie, concerning a move made by the Parliamentary Candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Justice Abban to build a toilet facility for the Community".
It said the Council respects and acknowledges the effort of the MP for the area, Mr. George Mireku-Duker made to develop the Dompim Community.
"The above Divisional Council states unequivocally that neither the Chief, Ohyeawora Bian Nyowah Panyin IV nor any of the council members has engaged in such acts of curses. The Council and the community respect and acknowledge the massive effort made by the Member of Parliament to develop the community", the statement said.
"In the course of developing the community, no citizen or loyalist of Dompim Pepesa will engage in such forbidden act of curses", the statement stated.
The Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council Secretary rubbished some claims that the NDC Parliamentary Candidate came to the council to seek for a land for the project.
"However, Mr. Justice Abban, Parliamentary Candidate for NDC has not come to Dompim Palace to acquire any land for such project in the community".
He continued, "Inasmuch as we acknowledge projects from each and every philanthropist or entity, the community together with Nananom believe that due process must be followed at all times".
The Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council is therefore calling on authorities in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality to call the NDC Parliamentary candidate Mr. Justice Abban to book as he wants to create violence in the area.
"We urge authorities to bring Mr. Justice Abban to book as he wants to perpetuate violence through clandestine means for his own parochial interest".
The Council has accused, "The Parliamentary Candidate of National Democratic Congress of hiding behind a small group of people to create instability which must be condemned and disregarded as we all care for peace".
The statement concluded, "We therefore send on absolute caution to anyone who wants to jeopardize the hard earned reputation of Dompim Pepesa Divisional Council to be careful".