The Chief and People of Manya Krobo Traditional Area have hailed the Supreme Court’s decision for the postponement of the district level elections as an opportunity for their concerns over the exercise to be addressed.

The people had planned to demonstrate on Tuesday March 3 to prevent the Electoral Commission (EC) from conducting the assembly elections in the Natriku electoral area or Akuse. 

This according to them is because the Natriku electoral area had been placed under the Shai Osudoku District of the Great Accra Region instead of Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region as indicated in the 1992 constitution and judgments by the Supreme Court.

The Communications Director of the Area’s Youth Association, Henking-Adjase Kojo explained their position to Joy News.

“In 2010, seven electoral areas were moved from Lower Manya in the Eastern Region to Shai Osudoku in the Greater Accra Region. The issue went to the supreme-court which on 13th June, 2012 ruled that the L.I which the EC was basing their action on was null and void. This means all the seven electoral areas come back to Manya. The EC in December 2013 conducted the election which was suspended in 2012 in six out of seven electoral areas – leaving Natriku out. As we speak, but for yesterday’s court ruling, they were going to hold the elections at Natriku under Shai Osudoku instead of instead of Lower Manya Krobo which is a clear breach of the constitution as well as disregard for the supreme court ruling. And to us we exchausted the issue because we had brought to the attention of all authorities including even the President and nobody had given us listening ears and that’s why we were going to demonstrate” he noted.

The Public Relations Officer of the Manya Krobo Traditional Council, Nene Asada Ahor explained to Joy News, the ruling is not only victory for democracy in Ghana but an opportunity for the EC to correct the anomaly.

“The ruling is very important to the people of Manya Krobo because we’re also saying that the right thing must be done. We’re also saying that the district elections at Natriku specifically should be held on the ticket of Manya Krobo and for that matter Eastern region rather than Shai Osudoku in the Greater Accra Region. The ruling means that our position that the EC is not being fair to the people of Manya Krobo is true. It therefore paves way for us to pursue our case for the right thing to be done” he said.

According to them, the wrong placement of Natriku in the Shai Osudoku District instead of Lower Manya Krobo Municipality was going to disturb the peace of the area since the Chief and people of Manya Krobo were warming up for a showdown and to resist the EC in the district elections. They have since served the Akuse District Police Command a notice to embark on a demonstration on Mach 3, 2015.