Combat police avert bloodbath in Krobo

Drama unfolded at Odumase Krobo in the Eastern Region on Sunday, when irate youth publicly stripped a chief off his warrior headgear and sandals.

Nene Tetteh Zogli, known in private life as Francis Osakono, a claimant to the Piengua Division Stool in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area’s intention to enter the celebration grounds to launch the annual Ngmayem Festival was met with fierce resistance from his hitherto loyal followers, who accused him of misleading them to break away from the Manya Krobo Traditional Council, under the presidency of Nene Sakite II, Konor of Manya Krobo.

They also claimed that Nene Zogl in defying an order by Konor Sakite for this year’s Ngmayem Festival celebration to be put on a hold, would mean exhibiting gross disrespect to His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, due to the Covid-19 pandemic had placed a temporary embargo on similar celebrations across the country.

The timely arrival of the police at the scene, the grounds of the Osekuse Shrine, averted what would have resulted in a bloodbath.

In the heat of the melee, the Chief’s royal warrior headgear and kingly sandals were forcibly removed, amid the sprinkling of water from sachet bags on the crowd, including the Chief.

Information available to The Chronicle from Odumase Krobo has it that Nene Zogli, who was enstooled Chief of the Piengua Division some twelve years ago, met opposition with the installation of a rival Chief, in the person of Nene Tettey Akora, known in private life as Ex-Warrant Officer Martin Odjidja.

Since then, the issue of who the substantive Chief of the Piengua Division is being contested at the court.

Two years ago, Nene Zogli led a group of divisional chiefs, who had a bone to pick with Nene Sakite II, to declare a breakaway from the Manya Krobo Traditional Council to form what they described as the Anikaka System of Paramountcy, where the occupancy of the highest traditional stool would rotate from one division to the other.

A near centenarian, Mr Gbertey Awasabi, from the Piengua Division, was a livewire in the ‘utopian type’ of Paramountcy about to be practiced.

Recently, Mr Awasabi dragged the Stool Father of Nene Zogli, in the person of Mr Ebenezer Tawiah, to Okpepiem (Shrine) at Somanya, who he accused of stealing his land, including a cemetery.

It was later seen to be unfair for the case to continue there, hence, the agreement to have it brought to the Chief of the Manya Division, Nene Sasraku, to adjudicate.

Nene Sasraku, upon having perused, declared the Stool Father guilty, and this begun the antagonism between the two otherwise close pals, Nene Zogli and Mr Awasabi.

Meanwhile, the Osekuse Shrine grounds area form part of the community occupied by Mr Awasabi and his family.

A few days ago, Nene Zogli was said to have informed his Piengua Division of the intent to launch the annual Ngmayem Festival celebration at the Osekuse Shrine grounds.

The announcement was, however, greeted with protestation for the Awasabis had gone back to reconcile with the Nene Tettey Akora faction.

The next step was to the Palace of Nene Sakite II apologised to the current President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, who accepted their remorsefulness.

On Sunday October 3, 2021, the youth of Osekuse barricaded the shrine grounds with rope, on which were hung pieces of red cloth, with same found in the nearby trees.

In the afternoon, as the youth gathered, some half naked, intelligence got to the police, leading to a move by the Odumase Krobo District Commander proceeding to the residence, only to meet Nene Zogli and his elders on their way to the charged grounds.

The police team impressed upon the Chief to consider returning in order to avert a clash, which was not heeded.

Nene Zogli met a very hostile crowd, which would not allow him into the Shrine arena to perform the launching.

When the media contacted Mr Awasabi, he was emphatic that Nene Zogli had lost his reigns at the shrine, when he was stripped of his warrior headgear and kingly sandals.

Nene Zogli, on his part, accused his protagonist of illegally registering a large area of occupied domestic land he claims to have acquired.

The Police Headquarters in Accra, when contacted, expressed their readiness to ensure that there was peace at Manya Krobo for the citizens to go about their daily activities without hindrance.

The Director General of Police Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Mohammed Suraji, in a telephone conversation, told this paper that so as not to underestimate the situation, the police had deployed personnel from Akropong, backed by two combat groups, to the Odumase Krobo.