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The Queen Mother of Senchi Traditional Area, Nana Afiaa Poakwa II, has finally broken her long silence, after being attacked and shot by a team of armed police men at her Palace.

Her son, Odikro Mintah, was also stripped naked, beaten and dragged on the streets for hours and later hauled to a nearby bush, where he was tied to a tree, during a bloody chieftaincy clash.

The incident, which happened few weeks ago, with the severely injured Queen Mother fleeing the town, was allegedly influenced by the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Asougyaman, Thomas Ampem Darko.

According to Nana Poakwa II, her crime was that she rejected the DCE’s preferred choice and closed friend, Kwasi Adu Aboagye, who was not qualified to be the Chief of Senchi and Nifahene of Akwamu Traditional Area.

Mr. Adu Aboagye, a staff of the Local Government Institute in Madina and a former co-worker of the DCE, was eventually installed illegally as chief at midnight, without the approval of the Queen Mother.

The respected Queen Mother, who is also the Vice-President of Queen Mothers Association, spoke with The Herald at her hideout, where she is attending to her wounds. Her right hand was heavily bandaged.

The Queen Mother, told The Herald that the DCE has abandoned his duties; government business, which he was appointed to perform; and taken sides in purely chieftaincy matter and secretly manipulating everything, because he has personal interest.

She said, the whole thing was a set up, schemed and executed, but incidentally reported in a one-sided manner by the media to shield the DCE, who refused to be neutral.

Nana Poakwa II, said she shortly discovered that, “Not knowing, the DCE Ampem Darko is the one behind all this. I am also asking Local Government Minister, Collins Dauda, to tell me the duty of DCEs”. Our DCE, is always in my Palace …having issues with me, because I didn’t allow him to sell some of our stool lands”.

Nana Afiaa Poakwa, also accused the Divisional Police Commander, one Mr. Bosompim, as part of the problem.

She warned, “If the authorities have failed to address this issue, then I will be compelled to take the law into my hands. If there are no laws, let us know. If anything else happens in the palace, hmmm… If persuasion fails, force must be applied”. Do the police have to meddle in our traditional issues? The police are all in support”.

Narrating the incident, Nana Poakwa II, said on the dawn of January 22, this year, “I heard a loud noise from the black stool room. Upon investigations, it was realized that they broke into the room at night and took away the gold, stuff and other things, kept in the room and went to install Adu Aboagye as a chief at night”.

This, according to her, “… is a criminal offense because, chiefs are not installed in the night. I ask, do we install chiefs at night? I have six Royals of which four have ruled with the other two left to have their turn”. Therefore, if I am to select anybody to be made a chief, it should be from these two families and not this Adu Aboagye man, who is not a member of these families”.

She said that, “When my Okyeame went to see and inquire what is happening, Oduro Dapaah, warned him not to tell me anything”. I quickly ran to the Adomi Senchi Police station, where I spent about two hours, but nobody was willing to attend to me. Later, four of the police men accompanied me to my town”.

She narrated that, “Upon arrival, there were over 70 macho men in the town hiding. Another guy called, Kofin Addo, who was not a royal including, Attah Boadu and Kwame Boadu ,who were both children of the deceased chief Gyaase, mobilized and led some thugs to catch my son, beat him and tie his hands and dragged him on the floor for several hours”.

She mentioned a policeman by name, Eugene and a colleague from Adomi, who later went and rescued her son. She continued that the thugs threatened to kill him, and “Once they are through with him, they will then move ahead and kill his mother, me”.

But during all these, the Queen Mother, said the policemen whom she came with did not do anything, but became spectators instead, watching on unconcerned.

“When my son arrived, I decided to kill him a goat to purify him as tradition demands”. So as I killed the goat, a police man appeared from nowhere and asked me to explain what I was doing. But I told him I owe him no explanation, since I am only performing traditional rite.

“He insisted that if I don’t explain he will fire me. We entered the house, closed the metal gate, but he broke in and started firing unprofessionally.
According to her, “when the officer pointed the gun at me, I decided to go inside my room, but unfortunately I put my hand at my back, the police man shot at me. The bullet hits and injured my hand and I had to be rushed to the hospital”.

Surprisingly, however, Nana Poakwa II, said none of those thugs who beat her son has been arrested since January 22, when the incident happened.

Nana Poakwa II, said she also received information that the same illegal chief and his cohorts, were planning to install a new Queen Mother and overthrow her.
She vowed that, “If the authorities fail to address this issue, then I will be compelled to take the law into my own hands. If there are no laws, let us know. If anything else happens in the palace, hmmm… adding, “If persuasion fails, force must be applied”.

Nana Poakwa II, also spoke on how monies had exchanged hands involving some prominent leaders in the area leading to the hurriedly organized installation of Adu
Aboagye as chief.

When The Herald contacted the DCE, he denied the allegations, but admitted that he knew the disputed chief, Mr. Adu Aboagye, because “he came to introduce himself to me”.

Even though the legitimacy of Mr. Adu Aboagye is fiercely being challenged at the Court, the DCE, seems to have recognized his friend and a senior colleague under whom the DEC is alleged to have served, while working at the Local Government Institute.

Despite the denial and disclaimer by the DCE that he did not recognize the legitimacy of his friend, Mr. Adu Aboagye, receives invitations to represent and honor public functions in his capacity as the Chief of the area, but the other person, who was also installed, has never been invited.

Mr. Ampem Darko, shockingly confessed to The Herald “we invited chiefs to the national sanitation exercise. We have invited all of them, but as to who is the legitimate chief, is up to them”.

On the issue of the shooting, he said “as the Chairman of the District Security Council (DISEC), it is my responsibility to maintain peace and ensure that no lives are lost” and that was exactly what he did as Chairman of the DISEC.

The DCE, also claimed that he was not aware the Queen Mother has been shot. He said, “The police only briefed me that there was blood oozing from her hand and was rushed to the hospital”.