The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the opposition NDC, Kwame Zu escaped a mob attack at the Okyehene’s Palace when the party sent a high powered delegation to beg for forgiveness on his behalf for some derogatory comments made against the Chief and Okyeman as a whole.
Mr Zu, at a recent demonstration by the Coalition for National Sovereignty in Kumasi, allegedly remarked that had it not been the intervention of former President Mahama, the people of Kyebi and the Okyehene will still be drinking water with animals.
This infuriated traditional leaders in Akyem who on September 23 led a demonstration to register their displeasure and subsequently went on to place a ban on the NDC from entering any palace in the Akyem area.
Even though the party issued a written apology, it was rejected by the Okyeman Council who asked the party to perform ritual pacification to appease the Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin.
That feud was however brought to an end today when National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo led a six-member delegation including Ambassador Victor Smith, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Antwi Gyamfi among other regional and constituency executives of the Abuakwa South Constituency to smoke the peace pipe with the palace and the traditional leaders.
The delegation earlier held a closed-door meeting with the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council chaired by the Okyenhemaa, Nana Adutwumwaa Dokua.
That meeting proved inconclusive as the traditional council proposed a fine of 98 sheep and 98 boxes of Schnapps.
Leadership of the party went into a second meeting with the traditional council where the fine was reduced to 48 sheep and 48 boxes of schnapps in the absence of the Okyenhene.
In all of those two meetings, the Okyehene was absent as he was said to be holed up in an equally important engagement.
But after the traditional council consulted him over the decision taken, he ordered them to forgive Kwame Zu and set him free and lifted the order by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council directing all chiefs within the council not to accept the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and their allies in their palaces.
Some agitated youth and residents of Kyebi who had began massing up at the Okyehene’s palace nearly attacked Mr Zu while the pacification was ongoing at ‘Abonsamboso’, the big stone.
They demanded that ram used to pacify the gods, be hanged on the neck of Zu as punishment.
Sensing danger, armed policemen who were deployed to maintain law and order, whisked Kwame Zu through the backdoor of the palace to avoid the mob attack by the aggressive youth who were waiting for him in front of the palace.
Speaking to newsmen later on, Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said the NDC only wanted to make sure peace prevailed.
“Even though he [Kwame Zu] did not speak on our platform, we felt that as our Regional Secretary, the right thing was for us to respect tradition. So we have gone through the right traditional practices.”
“Today, the Okyenhene has indicated that he has nor problem with the NDC. The NDC is also saying that we have no problem with the Okyenhene. We want bygones to be bygones.”
