Japekrom Traditional Councils (JTC) has described the allegations of their involvement in the recent demolition of some buildings at Drobo as untrue and unfortunate.

Recently, the chiefs and residents of Drobo alleged that people from JTC were behind the demolishing of 7 buildings with notice to raze about 300 others down at a suburb of Drobo on August 27, 2023.

But Okatakyie Amoa Aturu Nkonkonkia II, paramount chief of the Mpuasu-Japkerom Traditional Area, explains in a press release that “this is a case of land ownership between two private individuals which has been settled at the Sunyani High Court''.

He said the disputed piece of land at Faago is part of Mpuasu-Japekrom stool lands leased to the True Faith Church, but was later litigated by one Mr. Asuako and his son, Kofi Asuako, who also claimed to have purchased it from Nana Drobohene and subsequently allocated it as building plots to developers.

“After hearing the case at the Sunyani High Court, the True Faith Church was declared owners of the land and was ordered to take recovery of the land”, the release said, adding that a notice of Entry of Judgement was served on Mr Asuako and his son on July 25, 2022, and a Writ of Possession was also served on all the developments on the piece of land on October 13, 2022.

The paramount chief further alleged that even after the court ordered security assistance to enable the Church to take possession of the land, the Divisional Police Command allegedly resorted to “go and come” after three months hence the “Church decided to move in to take possession of their land on that fateful Sunday”.

“It is, therefore, unfortunate for the Drobo Traditional Council headed by Okokyeredom Sakyi Ako to make the allegation that the said action was somehow carried out with the backing or involvement of the JTC".

Okatakyie Amoa Aturu Nkonkonkia II noted that the “throwing of dust into the eyes of the people has nothing but the potential to disturb the fragile peace” in the Municipality.

He called on the security agencies to take serious note of the threats coming from the Drobo Traditional Council and take immediate action to ensure the safety of all, including the Atipemhene, Barima Dr. Adjei-Henne.

The release also said the possessory rights of the land claimed by Drobo are erroneous because it is a “Conditional Interest which survives on the obedience to the Allodia title holder”.

The release, therefore, urged all tenants on Mpuasu-Japekrom Stool Lands to take the necessary steps to regularize their grants at the Stool Lands office sanctioned by the Administrator of Stool Lands, per section 14 of the Lands Act, 2020 (Act 1036) at Japekrom to avoid any future issues with the law.