Angry youths, residents, and opinion leaders of Ajumako Tweikukrom have taken to the streets to protest what they consider a forced installation of a chief in their community.

The demonstrators marched through the main streets of the community to the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District Assembly, voicing their frustrations over prolonged chieftaincy disputes that have left their community stagnant and underdeveloped.

Kwame Forson, Chairman of the United Community Committee, lamented that the community, with a population exceeding 1,000, had seen no meaningful development for years.

According to him, the absence of a recognised chief had contributed to severe neglect, poor roads, and dwindling school enrollment - threatening the collapse of the local schools - and lack of access to potable water.

Mr Forson also rejected the candidate for chief, whom the paramount chief intends to impose, saying the individual was unfamiliar to the people and not from their community. 

"The residents will not accept an outside chief forced upon them," he stressed.

The committee chairman pleaded with the inspector general of police, the district police commander, and the district chief executive to intervene urgently and visit the community to prevent potential violence during the planned installation. 

“If they overlook our appeals, bloodshed may occur,” he warned.

Following the demonstration, some residents spoke to Samuel Nana Tawiah expressing a unanimous desire to end chieftaincy disputes. They revealed that for over 16 years, they had been unable to hold their traditional festival due to ongoing conflicts, further deepening the community’s stagnation.

They insisted that no chief should be installed unless the community selected a development-oriented leader who would genuinely work toward improving their livelihoods.