Accra May 23, GNA - Oseadeyo Frimpong Manso IV, Omanhene of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional area on Monday said he was the recognised chief of the Kotoku Traditional area and denied allegations that he was not from the area.

He said he was taken through the procedure and was accepted by the entire king makers as the true chief of the area. Nana Frimpong Manso IV said this at a press conference to react to the Daily Graphic advert that stated that he was claiming to be Omanhene while he was not.

The chief, flanked by the Queenmother, the clan head and other sub chiefs in the Kotoku traditional area said four out of the six king makers swore the oath of allegiance after he had been sworn in as chief of the area.

The other two were intimidated by some people in the area and were restrained from swearing the oath, he said.

He said the Frimpong Manso lineage had led the people in the Akyem Kotoku traditional area for about four hundred years and the fact that he did not stay in the town does not disqualify him from being a chief. Nana Frimpong Manso IV, installed, as chief on May 31 1999 has still not being gazetted because he claimed some forces were militating against him.

"My goal is to develop the area working closely with government as people have great respect for their culture, their heritage and hold their traditional leaders in high esteem," he said.

Nana Frimpong Manso called on the government to re-empower chiefs as most people did not easily identify with the government and saw the government as outsiders.

He said people in the district assemblies and the unit committees were more concerned about retaining their political positions than a commitment to build the community.

The Omanhene of Akyem Kotoku also urged the government to work together with the chiefs by bringing them into national discussions and into leadership positions and if possible even pay them salaries. Osagyefo Owusu Gyamadu, Clan head of the Akyem Kotoku traditional area called on the Member of Parliament for the area to come in and help resolve the issue.

The judicial committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs on May 9, 2001, following a petition made by some people in the area that the chief should not be allowed to rein found the application unmeritorious and dismissed it. The ruling awarded a cost of 300,000.00 cedis each to the complainants.