The Paramount Chief of Ekumfi Traditional Area, Odeefo Akyin VIII, has kicked against plans to include some lands belonging to the Paramountcy to the proposed Mankessim District.
The Chief's pronouncement was in reaction to a recent request by the Paramount Chief of Mankessim Traditional Area, Osagyefo Amanfu Edu VI to the government to consider making Mankessim an administrative district.
The Omanhen of Mankessim Traditional Area was said to have made the appeal during the recent visit by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo to consider adding parts of Ekumfi lands precisely Edumadze and part of Nkusukum to create a new district (Mankessim District).
Mankessim is currently under the Mfantseman Municipality.
But, speaking at a press conference on Friday, Odeefo Akyin VIII watered down the suggestion with the reason that the said land was not under the jurisdiction of the Mankessim Traditional Area.
“We want to state categorically that we the Chiefs of Ekumfi and Nkusukum will not allow our area to be added to another district,...and will resist any attempt to take any part of our land from us to form, add or to create any new district."
Odeefo Akyin VIII explained that Ekumfi was a separate district from Mfantseman, therefore it was not economically and traditionally prudent to alienate their immovable properties to another district.
"It will defeat justice and equality when for the sake of creating a district, due cognisance is not given to the immovable properties of land belonging separately to Ekumfi and Nkusukum."
Osagyefo further noted that "at the moment, the Ekumfi State which is now a separate district from Mfantseman is making a legal move for the recovery of our Edumadze lands which was ceded into Mfantseman when they were unblocked."
Historically, the Paramount Chief asserted that as far as the Borbor Mfantse was concerned, Mankessim was not a name in existence before the arrival of the Borbor Mfantse.
The Borbor Mfantse migrated from the present day Techiman under the leadership of three great Chiefs-Oson, Omunumankoma corrupted as (Oburumankoma) and Anapagyan corrupted as (Odapagyan).
These three powerful groups formed the Borbor Mfantse came to an unclassified people formed different groups at present day Mankessim where they fought severally over land ownership issues due to population growth.
The Osono led group took over where it is now called Twafo and Anafo which was occupied by Akraman group who were not members of the Borbor Mfantse. As it is, Nana Amanfo Edu's group- Osono took over lands belonging to the Akraman people when they (the Akraman) were defeated.
The Ekumfi and Nkusukum belonging to the Omunumankoma, (the Whale) and the latter also belong to Anapagyan, the Eagle respectively.
The Ekumfi Traditional Council therefore called on the Government to consider key stakeholders in their attempts to create new district to deepen decentralisation.