By Richard Attenkah
The Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area, King (Dr.) Odaifio Welentsi III, has called on chiefs and elders of villages surrounding Katamanso in the Kpone-Katamanso District to allow peace to prevail.
He pointed out that information available to him indicates that the relationship among the various chiefs and elders in the surrounding villages and that of Katamanso was not one that is peaceful, and, therefore, there was the need for all of them to put behind their personal interests and move on as one people.
According to him, without peace and friendship the area cannot develop, saying when things continue to stay as they are currently, the overall development of Katamanso, which is a historical village, together with its surrounding communities, will suffer in the long run.
The Nungua Mantse, who was speaking at a get-together of chiefs and elders of Katamanso and its surrounding villages, where they ate, drank, danced and made merry over the weekend, called on all present to give peace chance to prevail, which will no doubt translate into the development of the area.
“We have met here today, because Katamanso, which is the oldest village in the region and surrounded by so many smaller villages, is bedeviled with so many problems. “And if the head is spoilt, the entire body cannot be any good. The elders of this village have taken it upon themselves, but are saying that the problems bedeviling the Katamanso village appear to be destroying things in the smaller villages and beyond.
“So, today, elders of Katamanso have called all the chiefs and elders in all the villages surrounding Katamanso to gather here eat, drink, dance and make merry for all to see that there is no problem among them, and that we are all one people,” he explained.
The Nungua Mantse said where there is no peace development cannot take place; adding that the chiefs and elders from the smaller villages surrounding Katamanso should endeavour to allow peace to prevail, so that development can take place.
Continuing, King (Dr.) Welentsi III said it is a known secret that the substantive Chief of Katamanso is not very well, and as a result, cannot participate in meetings and also undertake other traditional responsibilities, therefore, there is the need to get someone to sit on his laps to steer affairs of the town.
“And in my capacity as the Nungua Mantse, I am promising all of you that soon, maybe by the close of the year, December, you will all see who will be appointed as regent to manage affairs of the area on behalf of the ailing Katamanso Chief, so that all the elders in the surrounding villages will have peace,” he noted
Advising the people of Katamanso, King (Dr.) Welentsi III warned all those who have wrongly acquired land in the area, and those who bought land from the chief, but have decided that because he is not well they will take the opportunity to extend the frontiers of their territory, to be careful.
“My advice to the people of Katamanso is that a lot of people have taken it that because the chief is not well, they will take advantage of the situation to grab lands in the area, and as a result, some people now own lands in the town without proper documents.
“Some people have also made it their business to loot Katamanso lands, and I want to advise all natives of this town to remain calm.” Explaining further, the Nungua Mantse said since land is not movable for people to carry it away, the people should remain calm, assuring them that as soon as a new regent is named, and he starts work, everything will change, because, “new king, new law.”
He advised all those who have taken Katamanso lands from unauthorised sources that they should quietly let go of it, saying “if he or she doesn’t leave it, and they are called to answer where they got it from, then it is their own problem.” “And those who the chief has given lands to, and because he is not well have pushed their boundaries farther than it is expected to be, should be careful.
“I am very much sure that those who are going to take over the administration of Katamanso have a lot of experience in land administration, and will find them out, because they know want they want.
“I will advise them to let go of the lands, which they are encroaching upon now, because if they hold on to it and the land administrators take over and brings them to Nungua, there will be no leniency for them,” King (Dr) Wellentsi III warned.