Chief reveals: Murdered DCE received death threats

• Posted on November 6, 2014November 6, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

IT HAS emerged that the assassinated District Chief Executive (DCE) for Nkwanta South in the Volta Region, Peter Kojo Kenyenso, received death threats before his gruesome murder Monday night.

The Paramount Chief of Nkwanta Akyode Traditional Area, Nana Obonbo Sewura Lupuwura II, disclosed to DAILY GUIDE that the deceased confided in him about two months ago that some people in the area had threatened to kill him.

According to the chief who described Mr. Kenyenso as a brother and personal friend, he advised him (DCE) to handle the threats seriously.

The Nkwanta chief told the paper in an exclusive interview that the deceased DCE later informed him that he had reported the case to the police where the person involved, whom he disclosed as an officer of Zoomlion in the district, was arrested and made to sign a bond.

Mr. Kenyenso was shot dead by an unknown assailant in his vehicle at about 8:00 pm at his residence on Monday.

The police have confirmed arresting eight persons in connection with the incident. The suspects are reported to have written a petition to the Volta Regional Minister a few weeks ago, calling on President John Mahama to remove the deceased DCE from office because he was meddling in land issues.

Reports say two more people had been arrested, bringing the list to 10.

Nana Sewura Lupuwura, who expressed utmost shock over the killing, said he had lost appetite for food since the incident happened.

He described the DCE as a disciplinarian, a very strict person and forthright who was ever ready to speak the truth even at the peril of his life.

The Nkwanta chief indicated that the late Kenyenso used to complain to him that many people who worked with him at the assembly did not like him because of what he stood for.

Fear

The Nkwanta Akyode chief, who is a teacher at the Jema Senior High School, near Kintampo in the Brong-Ahafo Region, said he and his chiefs were living in a state of fear due to the incident.

According to him, the chiefs could not go to the town because “we are all afraid since we don’t know who will be the next target.” He stated that some of the chiefs who are currently in the town are staying indoors because of fear.

He disclosed that he was looking for a place outside the Volta Region to meet with all the chiefs of Nkwanta to take a decision on the incident.

Arrest

Nana Sewura Lupuwura commended the police for the swift arrests.

He however, appealed to the police to widen their nets to other areas as all the suspects arrested so far are from one particular ethnic group – Akyode – which the deceased DCE belonged to.

“We are not saying that the police shouldn’t arrest the Akyode people, but they should extend their investigations to the other tribes. If they [police] target one particular tribe, the whole exercise will be a failure,” he admonished.

He wanted the police to also question all the people who were with the DCE on that fateful.

Call For Peace

The Nkwanta chief appealed to the three major tribes in the area –  Akyode, Adele and Ntrubo – to allow peace to prevail since they are one people.

“I’m calling for peace because there is no need to fight among ourselves,” he said adding, “We have inter-married; we all speak and understand the same language. The DCE was a peace-loving man, so his death though very painful, should unite use.”

FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani