Members of the Ajumako Dawurampong Royal Family of James Town in the Greater Accra region, are up in arms against what they described as the dictatorial leadership being exhibited by the James Town Alata Mantse, Nii Kojo Ababio V, by inaugurating the Principal Elder's Council to steer the affairs of James Town.
According to them, Nii Kojo Ababio V, has substantially abused his office as the Paramount Chief of James Town Alata resulting in detaching the allegiance of some James-Town villages from the Stool.
At a press conference to lay bare the many issues that they considered an affront to the development of James Town, the Chairman of the newly inaugurated James Town Principal Elder's Council, Nii Kweikuma IV, Chief of Anumansa division of James Town and Principal elder of Ajumako Dawurampong Royal Family of James Town, noted that the people of James Town cannot continue to live with a dictator like Nii Kojo Ababio.
He averred that, James Town has been bogged down in tragic efforts to live in monologue rather than dialogue for far too long, since Nii Kojo Ababio V, has failed to see reason with mentors and sympathizers who pleaded to sustain his office.
Nii Kweikuma IV, also indicated that Nii Kojo Ababio V has for the past 35 years never been able to prove his royal connection to the James Town Stool and had lived in a vicious cycle of borrowed identity, stressing that he has no royal connection with the James Town Stool and so had nothing to lose if he should mess up everything that has to do with the Stool.
The Chairman of the Council also indicated that the underpinnings of their traditional history and culture heritage in James Town has been the tradition of tolerance, openness to new ideas, respect for ancient wisdom, intellectual pursuit, and abhorrence of violence, but all these seem to have been missing under the rule of Nii Kojo Ababio.
He pointed out that Nii Kojo Ababio personally collects all Stool Monies of any kind, sell outright stool properties and deposit the proceeds in his private bank accounts, home and abroad, while unemployment, immorality, degeneration of Residential structures and poverty stare the people in the face.
They challenged him to come out and deny all the allegations they have levelled against him if indeed, he is not guilty.
Nii Kweikuma IV also stated that, the high level committee set up will study the expectations of overseas members of the James Town stool, by studying the role of the people of James Town and the roles they can play in the development and progress of the communities.
"The Committee will recommend measures to resolve the problems faced by the James Town Traditional Area and more importantly the Ngleshie Alata Stool."
"... Our immediate responsibility is the organization of the major final funeral rites of our deceased chiefs and principal elders that which has been ignored by the present occupant of the stool for 55 years,� he said.
According to him, many developmental programmes are outlined which will be pursued vigorously for the betterment of the communities that pay homage to the James Town Alata stool.
He said, construction of call clinic, public places of convenience, James Town beatification projects, recreational centres, rehabilitation of harbour landing beach, library, schools, well equipped abattoir are some of the things they would do for the community.
He has however, inspired hope into the youth and people of James Town and assured them that, "the sorrow is over and it is the future that beckons us now. The future is not one of ease today, but of constant striving to fulfil the pledges we have so often meant in the service of the millions who suffer."
"We as the principal elders' council assure the people of James Town, that our intervention means the end of poverty, ignorance and inequality of opportunity," he said.
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