There is simmering tension at Egyambra, a farming community in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region as 21 families are up in arms with the Chief of the area, Nana KofiAmo lll, who has ordered the bereaved families to pay money and drinks (Nkae Nsa) before they bury their dead relations.

As a result, the families have petitioned the Police Administration to intervene immediately as the matter could degenerate into anarchy, and called for the transfer of the Municipal Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Valentine Akposu for failing to ensure peaceful settlement of the issue at stake.

The letter dated May 5, 2022, and written by their counsel, Mr Yaw Anokye Frimpong from John Konny Chambers to the Director, Police Professional and Standard Bureau (PIPS), Accra, was copied to the  Western Regional Minister,  Regional Police Commander, Regional Crime Officer, as The Spectator source disclosed.

The stalemate over the matter stems from the directive by Nana Kofi Amo III that, the families should pay ‘Nkae nsa’, that is money and drinks,  else they would not be permitted to bury their dead ones.

“It is our fervent hope that you would treat the matter with the urgency it deserves so that the people of Egyambra can put fear behind them, especially where they allege that, some time ago, one of their  people was killed through acid dousing by some unknown persons.” counsel pleaded.

The petition recalled that on April 4, 2022, the families through their counsel,  wrote a  petition to the Western Regional Police Commander to take immediate steps to avert what could be a volatile situation  at Egyambra.

It submitted that, Nana Amo III with the backing of Ahanta Omanhene, Nana Baidoe Bonsoe XV, informed them that anyone who failed to pay him the ‘Nkae Nsa’ upon the death of their relative would not be permitted to bury the corpse at the public cemetery and any attempt to disobey the order would be met with the pouring of acid or any deadly substance on them.

The letter further said that, the Regional Police Commander acted swiftly on the matter and that the Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) organised a meeting on April 26, 2022, but, surprisingly,  the Municipal Police Commander directed the aggrieved people to settle the matter with Nana  Amo III, otherwise the chief would be right in using his machomen and other agents to pester them.

 Further, the Police Commander, they complained,  failed to take note of a more recent High Court  judgement which tried the merit of the same ‘nkae nsa’ payment that the chief lost.

The lawyers stressed “Our clients say after the comments made by the aforesaid officer, the chief sent some youth to Egyambra with substances believed to be acid, blatantly displaying same at the public cemetery to scare mourners from burying their dead.

“We have instructions from our clients to report the conduct of the police officer to you for further investigations and possible transfer from the area because he has demonstrated that he cannot do anything to bring peace to the place he is serving,” the petitioners said.

Meanwhile, in the letter to the Western Regional  Police Commander, dated April 4, the Egyambra families wrote that,  since their ancestors migrated from various locations to settle at Egyambra stool land 40 years ago, the custom had been to pay the said notification  drink to  the Amantwe family which owned that cemetery lands, whether “it is an Amantwe candidate  who occupies the Egyambra stool.”

Responding, Nana Amo acknowledged the court ruling on whether he holds the capacity to exact the nkae nsa but, explained that the Abusuapanyin could receive same.

“The families have buried some of the dead elsewhere and we know that there will be a burial on Friday, June 17 at Egyambra.” he told The Spectator.

From Clement Adzei Boye, Takoradi