A FORMER Vice President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs (WRHC) and Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove, Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX, has appealed to his colleagues who have gone to the Court of Appeal over the disputed election to discontinue the process in the interest of the House.
Kwesi Agyeman wants Tetretteh Okuamoah Sekyim to discontinue the appeal process to enable the House vote and elect a president, as ordered by a Sekondi High Court.
It would be recalled that a Sekondi High Court annulled the election of Tetretteh Okuamoah Sekyim, Omanhene of Wassa Akropong as president of the House on grounds of irregularity.
The Court, therefore, gave ten working days to the Electoral Commission and the House, which were respondents in the suit filed by Awuale Amihere Kpanyile III, Omanhene of Eastern Nzema, to conduct fresh elections.
Following the High Court order, the respondent, Tetrreteh Okuamoah Sekyim filed a stay of execution of the Sekondi High Court order at the Appeal Court. The stay is yet to be determined by the Court of Appeal. The development is making it impossible for the House to convene a meeting.
Also, because of the litigation, the regional house of chiefs could not attend a recent National House of Chiefs meeting in Kumasi.
It is as a result of this, that the Omanhene of Lower Dixcove is worried and, therefore, appealing to Okuamoah Tetretteh Sekyim to discontinue the appeal process.
Speaking in a telephone interview, Nana Kwesi Agyemang told this reporter that he was worried that because of litigation, they could not convene a meeting.
“I will appeal to my brother to discontinue the court process in the interest of the House, come back to the House and let us all hold fresh elections”.
But another paramount chief sharply disagrees that the appeal process at the Court of Appeal should be truncated to enable the House hold fresh elections.
The Omanhene, who did not want to be named, told this reporter in a telephone interview that there was no way the Appeal process would be discontinued.
The Omanhene said since other parties were peeved over the earlier election, which to him was fairly conducted and went to Court to annul same, they also reserve the right to challenge same.
According to the chief, if even he and his group would have to go to the Supreme Court over the case, they are ready.
“We will not discontinue the appeal process today or tomorrow”, he said.
Asked if he was not worried about development in the House, the Omanhene responded in the affirmative. However, he argued that: “the House of Chiefs is not individual palaces. It is government property, so any aggrieved party can seek redress.”
The paramount chief further told this reporter that there was no way the Sekondi High Court order would be complied with, because to him, the Judge erred in ordering for fresh elections.
“That is the reason why we have filed stay of execution at the Court of Appeal, if we even have to go to the Supreme Court, we are ready to go.”
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