The Pampaso Sub-Traditional Council in Kumasi has invoked traditional curses on the Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Arthur Os
The report indicates that the Pampaso Sub-Traditional Council in Kumasi has invoked traditional curses on the Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Arthur Osei Akoto, and the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, over a disputed parcel of land the council claims belongs to the Pampaso Stool.
It further notes that according to the council, the land currently occupied by the Ashanti Regional Police Headquarters, Police bungalows, the Children’s Hospital area and adjoining properties was originally released by the Chief of Pampaso to the government strictly for public use.
The chiefs, however, allege that the Ashanti Regional Police Command has expanded beyond the original boundaries and has allocated part of the disputed land to a private developer for the construction of shops.
Speaking in an interview, the Pampaso Gyaasehene, Nana Obeng Afriyie, stated the council has no objection to the portion of land lawfully granted to the government but strongly opposes what it describes as the unauthorised occupation of additional stool lands without the consent of either the Pampaso Stool or the Asantehene.
He further alleged that the Ashanti Regional Police Commander and the Kumasi Mayor had previously appeared before the Traditional Council to justify the Police Service’s claim to the land but were unable to produce evidence proving the property belongs to the Police.
Nana Obeng Afriyie also accused the officials of acting with the support of the Interior Minister to facilitate what he described as the unlawful takeover of the stool land.
According to him, the council would not stand by while its ancestral lands were allegedly taken over without due process.
As part of their protest, the chiefs performed traditional rites at the disputed site, slaughtering a sheep and invoking curses against the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, the Kumasi Mayor and the Interior Minister.
The council stated the ritual was intended to call the three officials before their ancestral gods to face spiritual consequences should they continue what the chiefs describe as the unlawful occupation of the land.
The Pampaso Sub-Traditional Council maintained that it would continue to pursue both traditional and lawful means to protect the disputed stool lands.
Responding to the claims, Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi denied any involvement in the alleged takeover of the land.
He stated neither he nor the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) played any role in the construction of the alleged police shops on the disputed property or approved any private commercial development there.
On the curses invoked against him, Mr Boadi stated he remained unfazed, insisting he had done nothing wrong.
“I am not scared of their curse because I have no involvement in the construction of the police stores in Adum-Pampaso,” he said.
