The Paramount Chief of Upper Dixcove, Obrempong Hima Dekyi has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to intervene in chieftaincy clashes and a land dispute between the Upper and Lower Dixcove paramountcies.
His call follows an attack of his mother, Christiana Akua Yeboah, and five other relations after they visited some plots of land claimed by Nana Akwasi Agyemang who is the Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove, who himself was allegedly beaten in 2019.
Obrempong Hima Dekyi, who was addressing a press conference on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, said he is not responsible for the attack on Nana Akwasi Agyemang which saw President Nana Akufo-Addo visiting him at the hospital.
He, therefore, appealed to the President to help resolve the dispute for lasting peace.
“In this 21st-century era, we can not sit when people have become so lawless, and they take the law into their own hands and try to breach the flawless peace we have all enjoyed.”
“I am through this medium calling on the President of the Republic and all people who do matter to intervene and find a lasting solution to this problem that’s breaking us up so that the people of Dixcove will continue to live the peace we have enjoyed, and each and everyone will get up in the morning or any point of the day and go about his or her normal duties without fear or panic,” he said.
While seeking a truce, Nana Hima Dekyi used the press conference to also re-emphasise a court ruling that made him the overseer of all Dixcove lands.
“I have a lot of respect for Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove, Nana Akwasi Agyemang. That he is old enough to be my father but in terms of stool and chieftaincy, he is my little boy. My stool created his Paramountcy. He was a division under me. My stool was made Paramountcy in 1692 as against his in 1921, about 3 centuries.”
“For political reasons, he was elevated to the status of paramountcy. However, the right and interest in the land are still reserved in me. He didn’t understand why he has become a Paramount chief and yet had to pledge his allegiance to me. He has taken the matter to court on several platforms. We have travelled the length and breadth of all the courts in the world from the pre-colonial time through to the colonial season and even in our current seasons and there has been a final judgement to put those disputes to rest. Those who came before him and myself and those who may come after us are bound to respect the decision of the court. But what do we see here? It appears there is a rule of strength rather than the rule of law. We live in a country where we are governed by laws that if I do not agree with you on a matter, it does not arouse to attacks.“, he added.
The Paramount Chief of Upper Dixcove also explained his involvement in the July 2019 attack on the Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove, Akwasi Agyemang.
“It was all over in the news that I have actually attacked Nana Akwasi Agyeman. I decided not to talk on the matter because I had got some criminal aspect and the court and police were looking at it. I refused not to speak on that matter because we were waiting for the police to conduct their investigations then at the right time, the truth shall come out. When it was left with just three days for the President to come and cut-sod for the construction of the sea defence wall, a chief on the same land goes to high thugs to provoke the people preventing the people from even entering their own land.”
“Upon several attempts to get the police and all other security people concerned to intervene and even if he was willing to go on with the installation, we were not opposing the installation but the thugs. People had been brought into the community who were breaching the relative peace of the place. About 1:00 am, I had a call from the Regional Police Commander that some men in Dixcove and Nana Kusi Agyeman has been held captive in my palace which I indicated that I have sensed of these things“, he added.
Meanwhile, the Western Regional Police Command is yet to make any arrest with recent attacks at Upper Dixcove.
