The Sofoase and Nkwaduano Yefri Royal Families of Wenchi have called on the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and other relevant institutions to urgently determine the long-running dispute over the Wenchihene stool.
In a statement, the families said the substantive chieftaincy matter has remained pending since 2019, creating uncertainty and tension within the Wenchi Traditional Area.
The dispute concerns the validity of the nomination and enstoolment of Kwaku Damoah as Wenchihene, a matter that has been before the appropriate customary and judicial institutions.
According to the families, the unresolved case has also contributed to tensions surrounding other stools, customary lands, and traditional authority within Wenchiman.
They cited the reported suspension of the Twafo Stool and the purported destoolment of the Twafohene, Nana Akora Tua Adutwum Kyereme Konfour IV, as matters of concern.
The families said the Twafohene had been prepared to give evidence before the Judicial Committee of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs on the customary processes for the enstoolment of a Wenchihene.
They argued that any allegations against the Twafohene should be properly communicated to him and dealt with through the appropriate customary and lawful processes.
The families also raised concerns over an alleged allocation of about 14,000 acres of customary land belonging to different families and lineages to an individual, saying such disputes must be handled transparently and in accordance with the law and customary practices.
They further called for a halt to what they described as arbitrary sales, allocations, or seizure of customary lands until the rights of the affected families and lineages are properly determined.
The statement also raised concerns about reported mining activities at Twrontwo near Atuna and their alleged impact on the Tain River.
The families referred to reports containing allegations of mining operations, excavated pits, environmental damage and claims involving payments connected to the mining activities. They stressed that the allegations have not been judicially established and called for an independent investigation.
They said the protection of the Tain River and the reclamation of affected lands should be treated as matters of public interest, given the river’s importance to communities in the area.
The families also expressed concern about reported disputes involving other traditional areas, including Awisa, Akrobi and Wurompo, saying competing claims to traditional authority could create further uncertainty and tension.
They called on all parties to refrain from violence, threats, intimidation, and actions that could deepen divisions while the various matters remain before the appropriate institutions.
The royal families said their intervention was not intended to create conflict but to promote peace, unity, and stability in Wenchiman and urged the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and relevant institutions to facilitate a timely determination of the substantive Wenchihene case.
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