Osu Council admits leasing cemetery

THE Osu Traditional Council has admitted that it has leased the premises of the Osu Royal Mausoleum at the Ringway Estates to Zain Ghana Limited to erect a communications mast there.
It, however, disagreed with the view of one of the elders of Osu, Asafoatse Nii Akapeh II, that the erection of a mast constituted a desecration of the Royal cemetery.
Speaking on behalf of the council in reaction to a story which was carried in the Monday, November 10 edition of the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the Osu Stool, Mr Abraham Adjieteh, said the council found it prudent to lease the land to the company after taking into consideration security and the deteriorated state of the place, noting that the council had been trying for a long time to renovate the place and that it believed that the company met its requirement.
He mentioned the elders who took part in the transaction as the Osu Ashante Osiahene, the Osu Ashante Atofotse and Papa Yeboah Bibio, adding that all of them agreed to lease the land to Zain.
Later, he said, the discussions that took place were communicated to the Osu Mantse, Nii Kinka Dowuona VI, and the Osu Klottey Wolomo, Numo Gbelenfo.
Asked why Nii Akapeh, as the Asafoatse of the Osu Mankralo Stool, was not invited to the meeting, Mr Adjieteh said it was because Nii Akapeh belonged to a faction the council did not agree with.
He said the story being propagated by Nii Akapeh that the chiefs and elders of Osu regarded the erection of the mast at the Royal Mausoleum highly provocative and sacrilegious was false.
According to him, the chiefs and elders of Osu had, since 2006, drawn up a plan to renovate the burial ground which had been encroached upon by the Visa Section of the British High Commission and other surrounding buildings in the area.
He noted that the decision of the council to renovate the mausoleum was upon the advice of the chiefs and the Wolomo of Osudoku when they last paid homage to their ancestors at the mausoleum during the 2006 Homowo.
“We do not see anything wrong with that. How sacred is the place which has been encroached upon by the British High Commission?” he asked.
Mr Adjieteh said the fact that Nii Akapeh was the Asafoatse of the Osu Mankralo Stool did not mean he had the right to resort to the use of the media to oppose the lease.