[ 2011-12-12 ]

I’m not in perfect health - Nana Akouko Sarpong
The Paramount Chief of the Agogo traditional area
in the Ashanti region, Nana Akouko Sarpong, has
asked his subjects to leave him alone because he
is not in a perfect health condition.

He said he has been very ill in recent times and
so has been unable to travel from his base in
Accra to Agogo to perform the necessary
traditional rites.

“I’m not in a perfect health condition now so
I humbly ask my people to leave me alone,” the
Council of State member said in an interview.

Angry youth in Agogo, on Wednesday, stormed the
palace of the paramount chief demanding his
immediate destoolment as the traditional head of
the area for his poor handling of the Fulani
herdsmen issue.

The infuriated youth accused Nana Akuoko Sarpong
of sabotaging efforts geared towards the eviction
of the Fulani herdsmen from the area.

Unhappy about the situation, the displeased youth,
who were joined by some elders in the town, did
not only demonstrate against the paramount chief
but also petitioned the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei
Tutu II to destool the traditional head.

According to them, the continuous stay of Nana
Akuoko Sarpong would derail their efforts at
driving the Fulani herdsmen from the area.

Speaking to Yaw Adu Boakye aka ‘Omanhene’, the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) guru denied
assertions that he had a special interest in the
occupation of the Fulani herdsmen in the area.

He said if he had an interest in the issue, he
would not have dragged the cattle owners to court
for violating the terms of their stay in the
area.

The paramount chief noted that the court would
surely pass an order, and give the green light for
the total expulsion of the Fulani herdsmen in the
area, thereby asking the people in the area to
take heart.

“The last time we went to court, the lawyers for
the cattle owners did not turn up but the court
said in the next adjourned date which is 21st of
this month, it will make an order to drive them
away from the area,” Nana Akuoko Sarpong
clarified.

He rubbished the demonstration held in his palace
by the youth in the town demanding his immediate
destoolment, stressing that paramount chiefs were
not destooled in that manner.

Nana Akuoko Sarpong said the Asantehene was not
that naïve to just listen to the allegations
leveled against him by the youth and then take a
decision to destool him.

“Do you know that the Asantehene is
affectionately known as King Solomon, do you think
that King Solomon with his accumulated knowledge
will just listen to a one-sided allegation and
then act on it,” the paramount chief asked
rhetorically.

He indicated that Otumfuo would not only ignore
the petition sent him but would also enquire from
the senders whether they have made known the
issues they were complaining about to him (Nana
Akuoko Sarpong).

The paramount chief pointed out that he ought to
have been contacted first, and if he was unable to
satisfy the concerns of the people, then the issue
could have gone to the Asantehene.

He stressed that the action of his opponents would
amount to nothing; he called on the people to
resort to amicable settlement of the issue rather
than to going the hard way.

He promised to sit down with the people and let
them know the intricacies of the issue at stake
when he returns to Agogo after successfully going
through his medical care.

Nana Akuoko Sarpong however, denied reports that
he owned cattle in the area, noting that he did
not even have a single sheep and that he was
interested in the growing of trees.

Source - MyjoyOnline

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