Achiaman chieftaincy dispute

…Royal family reacts

The royal family of Achiaman in the Ga West District of the Greater Accra region has vehemently rejected claims that its Secretary, Emmanuel Adjetey Okrang, is also behind the killing of the late Nii Kwartey Adjani I, who they claim was a self-styled chief of Achiaman.
Nii Kwartey Adjani I, who was known in private life as Clement Mamah Martey, was murdered in bizarre circumstance when driving from the community towards Accra earlier this year.
Mr. Okrang, who is the uncle of the deceased, stormed the offices of Today yesterday in the company of other members of the royal family, including Alex Akuamoah Boateng, to dispel the allegation.
He said, the assumption that he is also behind the killing of Martey, who is his nephew is “palpably false, baseless, concocted” and constitute a grand plot to malign his hard-earned reputation.
“I have absolutely nothing to do with the killing or the murderers. And so I see the accusation as a plot by some individuals in the community to drag my name through the mud,” a peeved Adjetey Okang asserted.
Interestingly, in his explanation Adjetey Okrang said, the late Clement Mamah Martey (Nii Adjani I) did not even belong to the lineage of the royal family, because both his parents are not indigenes of Achiaman, hence he was not even qualified to be chief in the community.
Later under re-direct questioning Adjetey Okrang explained that Martey is his (Okrang”s) younger sister’s son and is a “junior member” of the royal family, but since Gas are paternalistic he (Martey) cannot be chief.
Against that background, he averred that the rightful chief is Nii Achia Apumah II, who was installed in 1979 at a time the deceased (Martey) was a little boy; he has been chief ever since.
The family secretary said, “I helped raise little Martey when his father abandoned him… I took him to learn a trade, plumbing, when he could not continue with his education. So if I had wanted to harm him I could have done that long ago… So please let them leave me out of that mess.”
Mr. Akuamoah Boateng lamented that all those accusations are simply a move to tarnish the image of the entire royal family of Nii Achia, and added that, the truth “shall surely come out in due course.”
“As my elder brother (Okrang) said we have always resorted to the courts to seek redress… Martey had been with us since his infancy and we did nothing to harm him, so those peddling this falsehood should be careful with us,” Mr. Akuamoah Boateng cautioned.