The Okyehene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has delivered a ruling on the prolonged chieftaincy dispute in the Kyebi Zongo, urging all parties to give peace a chance.

Six indigenes of the Kyebi Zongo, including the son of the late Zongo Chief, had challenged the selection and installation of Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed as the legitimate Chief of the Kyebi Zongo.

The dispute heightened tensions within the Zongo community and raised serious security concerns.

After several months of hearings at the Customary Tribunal of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council, the Overlord of Okyeman, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, ruled that Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed should succeed the late Kyebi Zongo Chief, Sariki Abubakari Umar, who passed away earlier this year.

The Okyehene instructed the kingmakers to proceed with all necessary rites to formally install Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed as the new Kyebi Zongo Chief.

He stated that the history of the Zongo community, as presented by both parties and supported by testimonies during the hearing, shows that the Hausa people, being the first settlers in the Zongo community, are the only eligible group to ascend to the Zongo stool.

He added that eligibility is not determined exclusively through matrilineal or patrilineal lineage, but rather by selecting the most suitable candidate from among the Hausa people, a decision reserved for the elders of the Hausa community.

The Okyehene noted that Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed has distinguished himself over the years within the Zongo community and is qualified to be Chief, as he is a Kyebi-born and bred Hausa man with the requisite knowledge and pedigree to lead the community.

He further clarified that he has no personal issues with the main contender, the son of the late Kyebi Zongo Chief. However, he explained that the young man cannot ascend the stool at this time when there is an older and more qualified candidate available.

Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed currently teaches Physics at Abuakwa State College (ABUSCO) and served as the second-in-command to the late Zongo Chief. He is also the NDC Chairman for the Abuakwa South Constituency.

Upon his installation, he will serve as President of the Akyem Abuakwa Council of Zongo Chiefs and become a member of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council.

In his remarks, Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed expressed gratitude to the Okyehene for the endorsement and confidence reposed in him. He pledged to uphold peace, harmony, and development in the Zongo community, bringing honour to Okyeman.

He also assured that he will remain calm, resolute, and cooperative throughout the traditional rites and processes ahead.