Elders of the Yilo Krobo Paramountcy in the Eastern Region have strongly kicked against the creation of a third gate in the nomination of a paramount chief for the area by a group hailing from Shai-Osudoku, a traditional area in the Greater Accra Region.

Under the circumstances the elders from Yilo Krobo are petitioning President John Dramani Mahama to use his good offices to have the matter addressed for continued peace in the area.

Petition

In a letter headed, “Petition Against the Third Paramount Gate”, and signed by the Secretary of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Council, Mr G.G.B. Adjirackor, and copied to the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs, the Eastern Regional Minister, the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, the Inspector General of Police and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly, the elders stated, among other things, that a minority group with no right of inheritance insofar as the Yilo Krobo paramount stool was concerned, was threatening the peace in the traditional area.

It said a group led by one Opey Padi Keteku of Prampram, who is said to trace his family lineage to the Aklobettoe family of Yilo Krobo, was planning to break into the palace and install a chief on Thursday, February 19, 2015 (today).

According to the letter, if Opey and his group were not stopped, their action could lead to bloodshed.

Families

The letter said since the creation of the Yilo Krobo State many years ago, there had been only two family gates to the stool - Ologo and Akrobettoe - located at Sra, a suburb of Somanya.

It said the Yilo Krobo Paramount Stool, like all paramountcies in the Ga–Dangme State, was acceded only through the patrilineal line of descent. It said any deviation from the norm was considered a breach of age-old custom and an affront likely to bring about disunity and confusion.

“It is the sole prerogative of the Ologo and Akrobettoe families to nominate successors to the stool. Any attempt by anyone outside these families to ascend the stool is totally unacceptable by tradition,” the statement said.

The statement further explained that any time an occupant, from either the Ologo or Akrobettoe lineage, died, the group from Osudoku, who are related to the Yilo state by maternal lineage, tried to forcibly enstool one of their own to accede the Yilo Krobo Paramount Stool.

The petition said even though the patrilineal system of inheritance between the legitimate royal families had remained inviolable till date, there sometimes had been threats from the Nuer, Nuertey, Nyumuteye and Otua families to accede the stool even though they had no right whatsoever to lay claim to the paramount stool.

Disapproval of Alternative Dispute Resolution

The petition expressed disapproval of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) report which was not acceptable by all parties, especially the Ologo and Akrobettoe gates, but was presented to the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and judgment on it about to be pronounced soon.

It accused a retired Bishop of the Somanya Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana, Rt Rev. Albert Ofoe Wright, and his successor, Rt Rev. Alfred N.O. Aryeetey, who both signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) but did not go through a consultative process to verify assertions in the MOU that was brought before them to sign.

The elders of the Yilo State accused the two ministers, who are not citizens of the area, of contributing to the current impasse because of their inability to investigate the matter thoroughly.

“In view of the anger that is being expressed by the people and threats of disturbing the peace in the area, the people of Yilo Krobo do hereby humbly appeal to your Excellency, the President, to intervene by setting aside the MOU and in its place institute a commission of enquiry to investigate the dispute in order to set the records straight for lasting peace to prevail in the area” the elders stressed.