The North Tongu District Chief Executive (DCE), Divine Osborn Fenu, has dispelled claims that he interfered with a chieftaincy dispute within the Dorfor Adidome community.

Speaking at a press briefing in Battor, he urged the residents to treat the reports circulating in the media as false.

According to him, his mandate as a DCE is to ensure the peace, security and development of the entire district, made up of 6 traditional areas.

"Who is or is not eligible to be a chief in any community within the district, it's not within my mandate and capacity and I will therefore not interfere in chieftaincy disputes. I revere our chiefs as custodians of our tradition and values and indeed indispensable development partners.

That is the only interest that we have and we intend to continue to pursue this development interest with our cherished chiefs and traditional leaders," he said.

Mr Divine Osborn Fenu explained that the district security picked intelligence that tension was brewing at Dorfor Adidome regarding an impending funeral rites of the Chief of the Akata Clan of Dorfor, Togbui Saho Saho IV and the planned installation of a successor.

During that period, there was another claimant to the stool in the same community, bearing same title and whose faction had vowed to prevent the processes planned by the other faction.

He noted that to prevent a clash, the District Security Council (DISEC) invited the parties to a meeting on January 17, 2022.

There it was revealed that the dispute had been a subject of litigation at a High Court and was referred appropriately to the Volta Regional House of Chiefs.

The Judicial Committee of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs also referred the parties to the nearest traditional council since it was a dispute appropriately suited for that level.

The parties failed to take advantage of the directive that the planned burial of the late chief and installation of his successor be stayed and the option of resorting to the nearest traditional council on the orders of the Regional House of Chiefs, be explored first.

In view of this submission, the DCE noted that his intervention to promote peace cannot be viewed as him taking a side.

“I do not know any member of either of the disputing factions. Indeed I met most of them for the first time at DISEC meeting. I have no interest in the dispute. My only interest, and indeed the interest of DISEC is the peace of the community and the district.

That is our role only and we do not intend to shirk this responsibility for anything, irrespective of whatever mischief people will want to play with it for their parochial interest," Mr Fenu stressed.

Meanwhile, Mr Fenu has reiterated his readiness to engage further with the factions and ensure the peace within the community is not breached.