Private Legal Practitioner, Yaw Oppong, who has been installed as the Akyem Abuakwa Mawerehene, under the stool name, Omansumfour Barima Oppong Kodea, has stated his desire and willingness to support the Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin’s war against illegal mining and other threats to the environment within the Akyem Abuakwa area,
The overlord of Akyem Abuakwa over the years has waged war on illegal lumbering, sand winning, and illegal mining on all Akyem lands to help protect the environment, prevent pollution of water bodies and ensure its sustainability for the future.
Omansumfour Barima Oppong Kodea, known in private life as Yaw Oppong, who aside from being a legal practitioner prides himself as an environmentalist, promised support for the Okyenhene’s advocacy after his enstoolment as the Mawerehene of Akyem Abuakwa over the weekend.
In an interview with Citi News moments after swearing an oath to Okyenhene to avail himself to wise counsel and serve Okyeman with humility, Omansumfour Barima Oppong Kodea said he is ready to support the worthy cause of protecting the environment.
“I have always admired Okyenhene for that in this particular project, and his adherence to the environment and how to clean the environment. I myself, without sounding boastful, will say that I am also an environmentalist in the sense that, not only have I written a book about natural resources, but I am also very much interested in the conservation of the environment including the marine waters and the creatures in the marine.”
“At the beginning when I heard him talk about the environment, I virtually was seduced. I like that sense of protection that he has always wanted to accord the environment. Interestingly, there are many principles and also customarily laws that concern the protection of the environment. If you ever knew, sometimes people will say that on a particular day or don’t go to the sea to fish. It is only to allow the fish to also have some peace of mind, and also allow the environment to have some rest”.
“So my first and foremost duty is here, the mission that has been assigned to me is to ensure the protection of the environment, and lead the dreams of Osagyefo himself and help them to achieve these dreams, so yes, the environment is all we have. They say that when the last tree dies, the last man dies”.
Several dignitaries including Justices, members of the Ghana Bar Association, and some government officials were present to throw their support behind Yaw Oppong in the colourful rich cultural event at the Ofori Panin Fie palace in Kyebi.
About Yaw Oppong (Omansumfour Barima Oppong Kodea)
Yaw Oppong is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana and the Managing Partner of Ampofo, Oppong and Associates, a firm of Lawyers in Accra, Ghana.
Currently, he is a senior lecturer at the Ghana School of Law.
He obtained a first degree in Law at the University of Ghana, and successfully qualified as a Barrister-At-Law from the Ghana School of Law, Makola – Accra, Ghana.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Oil and Gas Law (LLM) from the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon.
He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London.
His current choice of career as a professional lawyer, lecturer, and farmer, has put him in a position of being exposed at a practical level to the ongoing interaction between traditional customary law and practices on the one hand, and the demands of modern technological, infrastructural and industrial development on the other.
He has for several years been a regular resource person contributing to topical discussions on a myriad of legal issues and is a well-known personality on various media platforms in Ghana.
