Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 13 April '99

Chiefs and opinion leaders in the Amansie West district of Ashanti have called for the "immediate replacement" of Mr Kwaku Aninkora-Sie as district chief Executive (DCE). In a petition signed by 41 chiefs and opinion leaders in the district to President Jerry John Rawlings through Mr Kojo Yankah, Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Aninkora-Sie was accused of "abusing his authority and respect accorded him with impunity". They also accused him of looking down on chiefs in the district, promoting chieftaincy disputes and taking unilateral actions. The petitioners claimed that "the district is beset with a number of problems, among which are pollution of the environment, inadequate supply of good drinking water, poor education standard and health facilities. "Due to these factors", they said, "the people over the years have been grappling with diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, buruli ulcer and many others. "This is why when he (the DCE) was appointed ... they expected him to serve with humility by liaising with the chiefs, assembly members and the people to formulate policies that will help alleviate the sufferings of the people." They claimed, however, that this has not been the case, as "Mr Aninkora-Sie chose to use divide and rule tactics", citing his selection of two chiefs who rebelled against the Omanhene of Manso-Nkwanta to the assembly without consultations with the traditional authority, as an example. The DCE has never held any consultations with the Omanhene of Manso-Nkwanta Traditional Council to solicit the opinion of the chiefs on development projects, or brief the chiefs on government policies, the petitioners claimed. When Amansie Resources, a gold mining company in the district, wanted to pay accrued royalties to the Manso-Nkwanta trational Council, the DCE caused the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs "to write a letter to the Minerals Commission to pay the computed amount into the accounts of the House of Chiefs". The petitioners said they strongly believed that the DCE's action was to set the Omanhene on a collision course with the Asantehene and some of his sub-chiefs. They said the proof of their suspicion is in the summoning of the Omanhene and his stool elders before the Asantehene to explain why he restrained the registrar of the House of Chiefs from carrying out the advice of the DCE. "These problems and a lot more have contributed to the erroneous impression of neglect by the central government in the minds of the people. "We the chiefs and opinion leaders in the district have tried to address our people's misconceptions unsuccessfully since we have also been subjected to the same humiliation and disrespect by the DCE", they added. They therefore called on the President "to intervene promptly to restore peace and tranquillity in order to enhance development in the district".