Mr. Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie (Oberempong Nii Kojo Ababio, paramount Chief of the James Town Stool) could be losing his chieftaincy title in the next two weeks if the Ga Traditional Council obeys and carries out an order given it by the first and second ruling houses of the James Town stool.
Elders of the first and second ruling houses of the James Town Alata stool, Ajumaku Dewurampong of Otokunoe We and Adanse, led by The Principal Elder Nii Attoh Quarshie have issued a warning to the Ga Traditional Council to strip Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie whom they claimed is holding himself illegally as the Oberempong of the James Town stool or they, the ruling houses will enstool a new Chief.
The Principal Elder and the Chief of Adanse have given a two week ultimatum to government and the National House of Chiefs to immediately withdraw the position of Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie as the ?so-called Oberempong Nii Kojo Ababio IV? of James Town stool or they will forcibly distool him and enstool another.
They noted that Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie is the son of the late W.C. Cofie of Sempe and the late Madam Dolphine Owoo of Owooman of Accra and does not hail from any of the three major ruling houses of the James Town clan and that he was fraudulently and cunningly pushed to the throne.
According to the elders, they have waited for far too long for the Traditional Council to do the right thing by distooling him, and that the time has come for them as royal houses to do as custom demands.
Members of the first and second ruling houses of the James Town stool have on several occasions indicated their unwillingness to recognize Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie as their chief since he does not hail from any of the ruling houses in James Town.
Nii Attoh Quarshie, a veteran politician who is leading to elders of these ruling houses is challenging the legitimacy of Oberempong Nii Kojo Ababio IV as a claimant to the James Town stool and warned all government officials who facilitate his position to become the Chief of James Town and Ngleshie Alata to implore the Ga Traditional Council to facilitate his distooolment.
According to Nii Attoh Quarshie, Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie was earlier on in 1987 distooled by the then Dzaasetse Nii Okpo IV, the accredited Kingmaker of the James Town stool on Saturday 20th June 1987 as the Chief of James Town because he hails from neither houses.
Explaining further, the elders noted that the James Town stool by an Executive Instrument (EI 57) of 1978 had James Town stool properties under seizure in 1974 with (EI 85) in the custody of the District Administrative Officer of Accra which was not revoked and until May 15, 1978, which had then been handed over to Nii Aryee Quaye IV a sub-Divisional Chief of Adedentam James Town division of the Ga Traditional Area until it was finally revoked by the then Chairman of the Supreme Military Council and Commissioner responsible for Chieftaincy Affairs, General I. K. Acheampong.? ?Till date, after the revocation of the (EI 85) properties of the James Town stool which was handed over to Nii Aryee Quaye IV has not been officially handed over to the James Town stool and expressed wonder how Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie claims to have been enstooled as Chief of James Town,? they said.
To the effect of ensuring that they bring sanity to the stool, a letter dated 11th September 2013 was signed by Nii Sackey Akumia IV Chief of Adanse, first ruling house of the James Town stool, copied to the Inspector General of Police, Interior Ministry, National Security and the BNI requesting them to deal drastically with Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie and his perpetrators who are selling the James Town stool properties.
They reiterated that the ?self-styled Oberempong Kojo Ababio? has issued power of Attorney to some sub-chiefs including Nii Ogbamey Ankonam I of Bortianor to sign documents in selling out Bortianor lands, a situation Nii Attoh Quarshie and Nii Sackey Akumia VI challenged as an act of conspiracy with some corrupt officials at the Lands Commission.
Ezekiel Quarmina Allotey-Cofie?s action is clearly spelt out in a letter dated 24th December 2012 signed by him directing the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission at Cantonment to be selling lands on his behalf.
