The Stool Secretary to the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council, Rev. William Murray, has threatened to file a contempt charge against the Western Regional House of Chiefs (WRHC) and its President for failing to adhere to an order from the Sekondi High Court and the National House of Chiefs. It will be recalled that a Sekondi High Court, presided over by Justice Robin Bastsu, directed the WRHC to sit and deliberate on a National House of Chiefs directive, asking the entire house to sit and deliberate on a petition brought by two persons for consideration to elevate 27 divisional chiefs in the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council to paramount status. The court in its ruling wrote: "I hold the respondent (House of Chiefs) compellable to perform its duty as enjoined under the Chieftaincy Act, since a report to the National House of Chiefs will necessarily require a meeting of the Respondent house to deliberate on the issue, as directed by the National House of Chiefs. The Respondent is ordered to meet as soon as practicable and in any case, not later than one month from the date of this order, to deliberate on the matter and then submit its report the National House. Twenty-seven divisional chiefs in the traditional area had brought a petition to the National House of Chiefs (NHC) for consideration and elevation to paramount status. Following the petition signed by the twenty-seven divisional chiefs, including the Paramount Chief of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, Osagyefo Kwamina Enimil, the NHC referred the petition to the WRHC for deliberation on the matter. The WRHC, consequently, at one of its general meetings, agreed and directed the Research Committee of the House to look into the merit of the petition brought by the twenty-seven divisional chiefs. When the Research Committee completed its investigations, it came to the conclusion that the 21 divisional chiefs merited paramount status. The Research Committee report, signed by the Registrar of the House, Mr. Henry Osei-Owusu, states: "The committee is satisfied that with the examination of the evidence available to it from the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council, the petitioners are qualified for elevation to the paramount." Consequently, the President of the House, Awulae Attibrukusu, wrote to the NHC of the acceptance of the Research Committee investigation. The report was further accepted by the Standing Committee of the same House. However, the Research Committee of the NHC, in a letter signed by the Registrar of the House, Mr. S.R. Takyi, directed the WRHC to sit and deliberate on the report of the Research Committee, and forward its response to the National House of Chiefs for action. But the House (Western House) failed to do so, as directed by the National House of Chiefs. For that reason, Ebusuapayin Nana Kwesi Sackey and Obaahema Abena Kunadjoa sought an application of mandamus at the Sekondi High Court, to compel the Western House to sit and deliberate on the Research Committee report, as directed earlier by the National House of Chiefs which was granted. Unfortunately, the house even though did sit, failed to deliberate on the matter. This prompted William Murray to cite the house for contempt. According to him, the substance of the court order was for the House to sit and deliberate on the Research Committee report, which had come to the conclusion, and signed by the President of the House that the 27 divisional chiefs in the aforementioned area were qualified to be elevated to paramountcy status. Unfortunately, according to him what the House did was to rather deliberate on pages 3 and 4 of the judge's ruling, which had nothing to do with the order on page 5. Pages 3 and 4 of the court ruling stated that a Regional House of Chiefs had no power to create a paramountcy. That, the Stool Secretary explained, was not binding on the house to discuss, but rather page 5 of the court ruling. The Stool Secretary continued that the said correspondent, as directed by the National House, was not laid on the floor mentioned of, let alone be deliberated on, as per the court order. As such the royal family of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council has no other option than to file a contempt charge against the house and its president, for failing to adhere to a court order. Source: The Chronicle