The attention of the Japekrom Traditional Council has been drawn to a publication on Myjoyonline.com dated 18th October 2018 and titled “Update: Chief, 3 others killed in Brong Ahafo” by Joy News’ correspondent Precious Semevor.

The story made misrepresentations with reference to the barbaric and animalistic killing of the people of Japekrom by some murderers in New Drobo.

In the said publication, Precious Semevor attributed the barbaric and animalistic killing of the people of Japekrom to a certain land dispute between the Japekrom Stool and Drobo Stool, for which a reference was made to the High Court ruling which directed the matter to the Stool Lands Boundary Demarcation Committee in 2000.

May it be known that the said matter was not related to boundary demarcation but LAND OWNERSHIP.

To further show the motive of the writer, it was further alleged erroneously, “the youth of Japekrom are said to be plotting a possible revenge attack on Drobo, despite appeals from their chief for calm”.

Further to the above, the attention of the general public is being brought to the fact that there has been an Appeals Court Judgment and lately, a Supreme Court Ruling on the land ownership claim for which the Drobo Traditional Council sued the Japekrom Stool.

The following facts must be noted:

1. The Drobo Stool went to court claiming ownership of Mpuasu-Japekrom Stool Lands. The case has travelled all the courts and was settled in favour of Mpuasu- Japekrom Stool on 19th November 2015 by unanimous decision. Indeed, the Mpuasu-Japekrom Stool won all the court cases up to the Supreme Court.

2. Consequent to the above, there is NO LAND LITIGATION between Japekrom and New Drobo. Suffice to say the Supreme Court in a judgment dated 19th November 2015 (Civil Appeal/No. J4/49/2015) affirmed an earlier unanimous decision by the Court of Appeal, Kumasi dated 27th, July 2012 which declared Japekromhene holder of allodia title to the litigated lands including the New Drobo Township.

The Daily Graphic published the said ruling on January 11, 2016, p.29.

The Barbaric and Savage Killings: The activities marking the 2018 Munufie Festival involved a visit to our Ancestral Home, Mpuasu, for a spiritual bath and the performance of rituals to commemorate the coming and settlement of the people of Mpuasu-Japekrom Traditional Area in present-day Japekrom.

This event takes place every five (5) decades and it involves walking on foot from Krobuo on the main Japekrom-Sampa road to Japekrom. Many of the citizenry of the Traditional Area, numbering over 1000, including men, women, young, old and children participated in this historic walk.

3. This event had been discussed in full with the Police Service, both Municipal and Divisional and permission was granted, with the assurance of adequate police protection. Strangely, in the middle of the procession, the police retreated from the procession without notice to the group leaders.

4. Unfortunately, by the time the chiefs and people got to the Municipal Assembly Offices area, along the Sampa-Japekrom road, there was a barrier mounted by some group of assailants from Drobo who had taken positions on a storey building (eyewitness and police accounts) within sight of the Municipal Assembly and started throwing stones and firing gunshots into the peaceful procession, killing three, including a one year old baby.

5. We have been reliably informed by the Police that it was under the instruction of the MCE, Alhaji Abuu that the Police retreated from the procession. This action of the MCE exposed the Chiefs and people in the procession to the murderers. For the avoidance of doubts we would like to state the following facts and make the following specific statements:

6. The barbaric and savage killing of innocent people, including a one-year-old baby who was directly shot, has nothing to do with land litigation. Japekrom and Drobo have no Chieftaincy dispute. The Drobo stool, located at Drobo (Jaman North), shares no boundary with Mpuasu-Japekrom Stool.

7. Contrary to an earlier claim by the Drobo Traditional Council circulating, the detailed programme of the Munufie Festival specified the routes of the procession and these were known to the Police Command hence their presence at all the events. It is, therefore, mischievous and false that there were plans by Japekrom to act contrary to the activities outlined in the programme for the 2018 Munufie Festival Celebrations.

8. The claim that a procession by children, the elderly, and nursing mothers was aimed at attacking a “Drobo” Palace at New Drobo (a suburb of Japekrom) can best be considered as a frustrating attempt to divert attention from the uncivilized act by the murderers. This is clearly a criminal matter and must be dealt with as such devoid of any chieftaincy nor land litigation references.

Witnesses on the ground included the media.

Signed:

BARIMAH DR. ADJEI-HENNE AFRAMFO

CHAIRMAN, PLANNING COMMITTEE

MUNUFIE FESTIVAL-JAPEKROM.