The Pampaso Sub-Traditional Council in Kumasi has invoked traditional curses on the Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Arthur Osei Akoto, and the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak. This drastic action stems from a contentious land dispute, with the Council asserting ownership of a significant parcel of land currently occupied by the Ashanti Regional Police Headquarters, Police Bungalows, and the Children’s Hospital area.
The traditional leaders claim that the land was initially released to the government by the Chief of Pampaso for specific public purposes. However, the Council alleges that the Ashanti Regional Police Command has unlawfully expanded its footprint beyond the agreed boundaries. Furthermore, they accuse the police of allocating a portion of this disputed land to a private developer for the construction of commercial shops, an action the chiefs deem unauthorized and illegal.
This dispute highlights ongoing tensions between traditional authorities and state institutions over land ownership and development in Ghana. Land administration in Ghana is complex, often involving customary land tenure systems alongside statutory laws. Such conflicts can impede development projects and create social unrest, reflecting broader challenges in land governance across the nation. The invocation of curses, a serious traditional sanction, underscores the depth of the chiefs' frustration and their perceived lack of recourse through conventional channels.
Pampaso Gyaasehene, Nana Obeng Afriyie, stated in an interview that the Council does not object to the land legitimately allocated to the government. He emphasized their opposition to what he described as the unauthorized encroachment on additional stool lands without the consent of either the Pampaso Stool or the Asantehene. Nana Obeng Afriyie also claimed that both the Ashanti Regional Police Commander and the Kumasi Mayor had previously failed to provide evidence of police ownership when summoned before the Traditional Council.
The chiefs performed traditional rites at the disputed site, which included the slaughter of a sheep. This ritual was intended to summon the three accused officials before their ancestral gods to face spiritual consequences if they continue with the alleged unlawful occupation. The Pampaso Traditional Council maintains its commitment to pursuing all available traditional and lawful means to protect the disputed stool lands, indicating a prolonged struggle if a resolution is not found.
In response, Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi has vehemently rejected the allegations, denying any involvement in the alleged unlawful takeover of land at Adum-Pampaso. He stated that neither his office nor the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly had approved any private commercial development on the site. Mr. Boadi also expressed that he was unperturbed by the curses, asserting he had done nothing wrong to warrant such an action, and threatened to report the chiefs to the Asantehene for their use of spiritual sanctions.
The Mayor described the curse as an affront to due process, advocating for the use of traditional channels of dispute resolution instead of spiritual sanctions against public officials. This stance sets up a potential conflict between traditional and modern governance structures. The incident underscores the delicate balance required in managing land disputes, especially when they involve powerful traditional authorities and state actors. The outcome of this dispute will be closely watched, as it could set precedents for similar land conflicts in other parts of Ghana.