Principal Kingmaker of Neefu Jorbu family of Kwabenya community under the Gbese Divisional Stool in the Ga State of the Greater Accra Region, Nii Armah Jorbu l, has stated that those self seeking elders of the Kwabena community who have been protesting against his installation as the principal kingmaker of the family do not have traditional and customary locus and position to challenge his capacity as the traditional office holder.
Addressing Journalists in Accra yesterday, Nii Armaah Jorbu l, who doubles as the Chief Priest (Wulomo) of Neefu Jorbu family clarified that those disgruntled elders whose names were withheld are from the Abbey family and that they are not members of the Neefu Jorbu family of Kwabenya and dared them to show their family lineage.
Fuming with anger, Nii Armah Jorbu I warned these self seeking elders, particularlly Mr. Nii Mensa to stop their habit of interfering in the Neefu Jorbu family affairs, saying that their actions and inactions are currently causing unnecessary confusion and trouble within the Kwabenya community.
Nii Armah Jorbu I was responding to the circumstance where some seeking elders of Abbey family led Nii Mansa who questioned the traditional capacity of him (Nii Armah Jorbu I) as the principal kingmaker of Neefu Jorbu family.
These critics current raised red flag about ligitimacy of Nii Armah Jorbu I, saying that he cannot be installed as the principal kingmaker of the family and warned him to stop parading as such.
But in a quick rebuttal, Nii Armah Jorbu I rubbished the claim of these elders and stressed that he has been legally, traditionally and customarily installed as the principal kingmaker of the family by the principal elder of the Neefu Jorbu familly who doubles as the Kwabena Stool Father, Nii Ocan Mensa II.
According to him, the traditional capacity instructed into his hands has affirmed his position which has compiled him to install six other traditional office holders from the Neefu Jorbu family in the persons of Mankrolo of Neefu Jorbu family, Nii Afutu Afragadza I, Taifa Community Queenmother, Naa Okailey Adzorbu I, Stool mother of Neefu Jorbu family, Naa Amwrteley Onor Atta, Nii Kpante Mensah ll, Asafoatse Tatse l and Asafoanye Ashiwley I who were officially inducted in the Kwabenya Chief Palace a couples of weeks ago.
Additionally, he revealed that he has been officially granted Power Of Attorney (POA) by the legitimate and principal head of Needy Jorbu family, Nii Amarkai I to manage the affairs of the family.
The power of attorney vested in Nii Armah Jorbu l, mandates him to hold Neefu Jorbu family lands in trust for the people of the area.
He has also been granted the authority to fight all Neefu Jorbu family cases in court and to champion the interests of the people of the family.
The Power of Attorney further probe of his loyalty and honesty, by the Principal elder of Neefu Jorbu family states that Nii Arman Jorbu I will “Represent the Neefu Jorbu family in all cases involving lands and properties and all proceedings before the Ga Traditional Council, Regional House of Chiefs and in connection therewith.”
Nii Armah Jorbu l is also to stand strong to defend the chief and elders on behalf of the family to submit any necessary memorandum or other documents to the family and to make oral or other personal representation to the court at all times on behalf of the family.
However, Nii Armah Jorbu I noted that looking at the content of this power of attorney, he finds it extremely difficult to comprehend why non family members from the Abbey family of Kwabenya should be challenging his traditional office holding capacity status.
He fumed that what are their interest of exbiting this uncultured behaviour and warned to stop that else they would incur their wraft.
“We have ancestral names like Afutu, Amaarh, Ayitey, Ayikwei and Addotey, so who are those challenging my capacity? From which lineage of the family where they from?
“Our ancestral house still exist Atukpai, so those challenging my capacity should come and point their ancestral room here. How can those power mongers who are not from our house tell us what to do in our house? he questioned.
Nii Armah Jorbu I stated categorically that the elders of Abbey family were fight against his traditional status because they wanted him to take side in the long standing chieftaincy dispute between the members of Abbey family and Nii We family of Kwabenya for which he refused to do so.
Nii Armah Jorbu I stressed that he together with the members of Neefu Jorbu family would not support any conflict or take sides in any Chieftaincy conflict in the area, adding that “we Neefu Jorbu in our humble way would try to unite and inculcate into the two feuding factions the spirit of love not war.”
He asseted that “we would not dent our ancestral image by taking unnecessary sides, peace must reign in Ga State yes peace must reign, but you as a Journalist can see for yourself those who are conflict mongers in the suburb, but posterity is a good judge.”
He pointed out that although the Kwabenya stool father is from Neefu Jorbu family and his mother is from Abbey We family doesn’t mean that Abbey We people can interfere in our family affairs.
“Even to the effect of debunking our bloodlines, no matter what peace must prevail in Kwabenya and there is a way nothing can stop us from uniting our people unless those at loggerheads disgrace, and when they disagree l think the Paramouncy of Gbese who recognized Kwabenya as his village would have to take a strong decision and nullify some powers,” he added.
He indicated that that the Queen Mother of Kwabenya, Naa Korkoi Dugbatey has been calling for peace in kwabenya “on our various medias, so if some people from his camp are in disagreement with her they should then come out and say it.”
“…or may be the peace she is calling for is different from what we thought it is, as I have stressed we would not take sides, we can enter into any house in leavens when we are invited, peace must prevail, enough of the conflict, Jorbu We people have a say in Kwabenya but we call for peace to prevail,” he further stressed.
He urged all the elders of Kwabenya community to assist to bring sanity to the area.
Nii Armah Jorbu I used the opportunity to call on government and the chief justice to ensure that all hooligans, thugs and land-guards who have been unlawfully terrorising people being captured for the safety and security of the people in the area.
He appealed to the police to ensure that all cases brought before them in the name of Neefu Jorbu family, properties and lands be cross-checked and further probed to avoid claims and impersonations by some illegitimate persons and land guards.