Ga West police patrol Ayikai Doblo amidst growing tensions following Azonto's re-emergence

Ga West Municipal Divisional and District Police since Friday, 7th April, 2023 have been patrolling Ayikai Doblo, a Ga community in the Amasaman constituency amidst growing tensions to ensure peace and security.

Elders and members of the royal family said they got intelligence with video evidence that Amu Dodoo, a.k.a Azonto or TJ, his land guards and other unscrupulous persons had gone to perform some unholy rites at the residence of one Nii Nortey Caezar at Kwashiman in Accra to illegitimately install him chief of Ayikai Doblo with plans to forcibly enter the community as a chief with the help of his land guards.

This is what sparked the tensions causing the police to proactively patrol Ayikai Doblo daily.

In a petition dated 15th April, 2023 which, the Ayikai Doblo Mantse We And The Lawful Royal Families of Ayikai Doblo has given the Municipal Commander against gun shooting and mischievous attempt to install an illegitimate chief at Ayikai Doblo, the elders revealed various attempts this same Amu Dodoo has made over the years to impose himself on Ayikai Doblo as their chief and the violent outcomes of such attempts.



According to the petition signed by elders of the three legitimate families that constitute Ayikai Doblo royalty and kingmakers, Azonto's violent activities in pursuit of his illegitimate chietain ambitions led to the assassination of Mary Nteshe and Sulley Amarkai Amartey in 2009 and 2013 respectively.



The Ga community with an unfortunate history of violent chieftain clashes, landguards activities and unsolved assassination cases became relatively peaceful following the arrest and detention of Azonto who carried himself about unlawfully as the caretaker of the land after the death of Nii Doblo Ayikai II.

"After his release, in 2021, he went underground for sometime, but, he has now re-emerged to pursue his nefarious agenda of unlawfully imposing himself on the elders and people of Ayikai Doblo as our chief," Daniel Tetteh, an elder of Ayikai Doblo royal family who spoke for and on behalf of the family revealed.

According to him, they were informed that their notorious younger brother from the Kweifio section of the family has gone against the traditions, norms and values of his own family elders and the entire royal family to sacrilegiously organise an enstoolment ceremony announcing himself the chief of the community.

"Of course, he did not do it at Ayikai Doblo. He did at Kwashiman but when the people of Ayikai Doblo heard of it they became incensed because Kwashiman Mantse and Nii Ayikai III per our customs do not determine and install chief for Ayikai Doblo. They have no legitimacy whatsoever to do that, hence, it is an affront to our stool, the royal family and entire people of Ayikai Doblo. That is what provoked tensions in the community and the people have vowed to deal with Azonto drastically if he dares come here forcibly with his thugs as a chief," he said.

"Because he works with violent landguards, other inhabitants too are scared of the big clash that may erupt should he and his thugs return here to do what they are known for. But, we have reported the case to the police and petitioned them to ensure peace and security here which, to be very frank, the police are dutifully doing," he observed.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach Azonto for his side of the story has proven futile.

In 2001, news of him trying amidst similar tensions to enstool himself the chief of Ayikai Doblo came up but he was arrested and detained after which, he was warned to desist from such illegal activities.

Investigations at the time revealed that he held a fictitious document which, he claimed to be Power of Attorney that empowered him to be a caretaker of the land and community even before the death of Nii Doblo Ayikai II. After disempowering him, he went underground for a while and has now re-emerged to continue the very thing he was warned against.

Per long adhered to customs and traditions, the three-section composite royal family of Okaine Mensah We, Doblo We and Kweifio We installs chief of Ayikai Doblo with the support of four other principal houses; Oseku We, Somne Naa We, Atwashin We and Saanaa We. Elders and members of the aforementioned royal houses and the supporting principal houses have never enstooled Amu Dodoo as a family head let alone chief of Ayikai Doblo.

Among the legitimate elders of Ayikai Doblo against the null and void installation of Azonto as chief are Osmanu Odartey Lamptey, Mustaphah Harlen Amponsah, Reuben Adjakwa, Mr David Tei Tagoe and Samuel Odartey Lamptey.

Others include Mr. Solomon Teittey Tagoe, Ibrahim Darku Amponsah, Alhaji Ibrahim Tettey Okai, Okyeame Mantey, Rashid Attoh Tetteh, Musah Otto Amponsah and Usif Odartei Lamptey.

It is instructive to know that the elders of Kweifio We, the very section of the royal family that Azonto belongs to have all distanced themselves and the family from him and his misconduct. In June 2021, the revered principal elders of Ayikai Doblo, Musah Oto Amponsah, Ibrahim Darku, Margaret Otenkorang and Margaret Addio advised the police and authorities to deal with him drastically according to the laws of Ghana.

Source: Raymond Ablorh