OSEADEEYO Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Paramount Chief of Techiman Traditional Area, has denied ever masterminding the kidnap of Nana Baffour Asare II, Chief of Tuobudom who owes allegiance to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
He said Nana Asare was brought to his palace by some youth of Techiman during his absence and all what he did was to draw the attention of the police who arrested him.
He said the Tuobodomhene had been on the wanted list of the police for a long time for the role he allegedly played in the assassination attempt on his life and the lives of members of his entourage.
Nana Ameyaw, who was speaking at a press conference at his palace at Techiman yesterday, declared, “therefore there was nothing like a rescue operation or kidnapping as is being misrepresented by the media”.
The press conference was called by Oseadeeyo Ameyaw to state his side of the story over the impasse between him and the Asantehene.
Tuobodom has a history of a protracted chieftaincy dispute which often results in violence. The town has two chiefs, Nana Baffour Asare who owes allegiance to the Asantehene and Nana Obeng Ameyaw Barima II who owes allegiance to the Technimanhene.
On March 5, fighting broke out after Nana Asare was allegedly kidnapped at Wenchi and sent to the palace of Oseadeeyo Ameyaw.
The Asantehene accused the Techimanhene of masterminding the kidnapping and torture of Nana Asare and vowed to avenge.
However, at yesterday’s press conference, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw said he believed the Asantehene had been misinformed about the whole incident.
He also blamed Nana Asare’s lawyer who, the Techimanhene alleged, “went on a private radio station to incite a section of the people of Tuobodom who took up arms, attacked and killed Kwesi Takyi, a cousin of the Tuobodomhene”.
He said that unfortunate situation sparked off the current conflict, adding that the confusion was exploited by the lawyer to cover up the actual crime “by the self-styled Paramount chief in Tuobodom”.
Narrating the background of the current conflict, the Techimanhene stated that on October 7 he was on his way to attend the yam festival of Nana Barima, who also doubles as the Akyempemhene of the Techiman Traditional Area.
He said, “Nana Barima is the custodian of the Tuobodom stool and the Twumpuduo shrine, the symbol of authority of any proper Akan chief, who controls the greater part of Tuobodom town with the exception of one family in the town staying in a suburb called Krotia who owes allegiance to the Asantehene.”
He said when his convoy reached the outskirt of Tuobodom they were attacked and some members of his entourage sustained gunshot wounds.
According to him, a member of his convoy, Kwaku Takyi had a bullet lodged in his head and was now paralysed and speechless.
The Techimanhene alleged that during that period Nana Asare spoke on a private radio station in Sunyani claming that he ordered the assassination attempt on him.
Based on this, he twice petitioned the Inspector General of Police, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Commander, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Security Council and the Techiman Municipal Police Commander, but nothing was done.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw said in February this year, four of the assailants were sighted at Fiapre and were apprehended by the police. They were taken to court and remanded into prison custody pending their trial in court.
He said on the March 5, some victims of the assassination attempt also sighted Nana Asare at Wenchi, arrested him and took him to his palace while he was absent.
He said when he was informed about this development, he called the police who picked Nana Asare up for interrogation.
“My advice therefore to the Asantehene is to cool down and allow the law to take its course. Our duty as citizens is to assist the police to enforce the law,” the Techimanhehe stated.
He also appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage about the Tuobodom incident.
He said Nana Asare was brought to his palace by some youth of Techiman during his absence and all what he did was to draw the attention of the police who arrested him.
He said the Tuobodomhene had been on the wanted list of the police for a long time for the role he allegedly played in the assassination attempt on his life and the lives of members of his entourage.
Nana Ameyaw, who was speaking at a press conference at his palace at Techiman yesterday, declared, “therefore there was nothing like a rescue operation or kidnapping as is being misrepresented by the media”.
The press conference was called by Oseadeeyo Ameyaw to state his side of the story over the impasse between him and the Asantehene.
Tuobodom has a history of a protracted chieftaincy dispute which often results in violence. The town has two chiefs, Nana Baffour Asare who owes allegiance to the Asantehene and Nana Obeng Ameyaw Barima II who owes allegiance to the Technimanhene.
On March 5, fighting broke out after Nana Asare was allegedly kidnapped at Wenchi and sent to the palace of Oseadeeyo Ameyaw.
The Asantehene accused the Techimanhene of masterminding the kidnapping and torture of Nana Asare and vowed to avenge.
However, at yesterday’s press conference, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw said he believed the Asantehene had been misinformed about the whole incident.
He also blamed Nana Asare’s lawyer who, the Techimanhene alleged, “went on a private radio station to incite a section of the people of Tuobodom who took up arms, attacked and killed Kwesi Takyi, a cousin of the Tuobodomhene”.
He said that unfortunate situation sparked off the current conflict, adding that the confusion was exploited by the lawyer to cover up the actual crime “by the self-styled Paramount chief in Tuobodom”.
Narrating the background of the current conflict, the Techimanhene stated that on October 7 he was on his way to attend the yam festival of Nana Barima, who also doubles as the Akyempemhene of the Techiman Traditional Area.
He said, “Nana Barima is the custodian of the Tuobodom stool and the Twumpuduo shrine, the symbol of authority of any proper Akan chief, who controls the greater part of Tuobodom town with the exception of one family in the town staying in a suburb called Krotia who owes allegiance to the Asantehene.”
He said when his convoy reached the outskirt of Tuobodom they were attacked and some members of his entourage sustained gunshot wounds.
According to him, a member of his convoy, Kwaku Takyi had a bullet lodged in his head and was now paralysed and speechless.
The Techimanhene alleged that during that period Nana Asare spoke on a private radio station in Sunyani claming that he ordered the assassination attempt on him.
Based on this, he twice petitioned the Inspector General of Police, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Commander, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Security Council and the Techiman Municipal Police Commander, but nothing was done.
Oseadeeyo Ameyaw said in February this year, four of the assailants were sighted at Fiapre and were apprehended by the police. They were taken to court and remanded into prison custody pending their trial in court.
He said on the March 5, some victims of the assassination attempt also sighted Nana Asare at Wenchi, arrested him and took him to his palace while he was absent.
He said when he was informed about this development, he called the police who picked Nana Asare up for interrogation.
“My advice therefore to the Asantehene is to cool down and allow the law to take its course. Our duty as citizens is to assist the police to enforce the law,” the Techimanhehe stated.
He also appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage about the Tuobodom incident.
