Pampaso chiefs invoke curses on Kumasi Mayor, Police Commander and Interior Minister over disputed land

The Pampaso Sub-Traditional Council in Kumasi has invoked 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 which the Council insists belongs to the Pampaso Stool. According to the Traditional Council, the land currently occupied by the Ashanti Regional Police Headquarters, Police Bungalows, the Children’s Hospital area and adjoining lands were originally released to the government by the Chief of Pampaso for public purposes. However, the council alleges that the Ashanti Regional Police Command has unlawfully expanded beyond the agreed boundaries and has even allocated part of the disputed land to a private developer for the construction of shops.

Speaking in an interview, Pampaso Gyaasehene, Nana Obeng Afriyie, stated that the council does not object to the land legitimately allocated to the government but is opposed to what it describes as the unauthorized encroachment on additional stool lands without the consent of either the Pampaso Stool or the Asantehene. He further claimed that the Ashanti Regional Police Commander and the KMA Mayor had previously been summoned before the Traditional Council to justify the Police’s ownership of the disputed land but were unable to provide evidence that the property belongs to the Police Service. Nana Obeng Afriyie also accused the officials of acting with the backing of the Interior Minister to forcefully take over traditional lands, stressing that the council would not remain silent while its ancestral property is allegedly being taken away.

As part of their protest, the chiefs performed traditional rites at the disputed site, where they slaughtered a sheep and invoked curses against the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, the KMA Mayor and the Interior Minister. According to the council, the ritual was meant to summon the three officials before their ancestral gods to face spiritual consequences if they continue with what the chiefs describe as the unlawful occupation of the land. The Pampaso Traditional Council maintains that it will continue to pursue all available traditional and lawful means to protect the disputed stool lands.

Responding to the claims, the Kumasi Mayor, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, has rejected allegations by the Pampaso Sub-Tradition… 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. 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, said 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. The council said 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.