In a development surrounding the Nii Arde Nkpa Stool Family in Accra, Mrs. Victoria Arnmah, currently residing in the United States, has made a formal declaration regarding her position as head of the family.
Represented by her legal counsel, Oliver Atse Abada Esq., Mrs. Arnmah expressed surprise over the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal in the case of Nii Arde Nkpa VI & Others v. Irrigation Development Authority & Others and Nii Ayinsah Sasraku III (Suit H1/251/2020), which was delivered on March 9, 2023.
The ruling, which confirmed Frederick Victor Nii Tackie Tackie (Nii Arde Nkpa VII) as both Mantse and head of the family, has raised questions for Mrs. Arnmah and her supporters.
They contend that the judicial committee of the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Council had previously ruled on September 29, 2015, that Frederick Victor Nii Tackie Tackie should no longer present himself as a chief.
The recent Court of Appeal decision overturning this prior ruling has, therefore, caused confusion.
Mrs. Arnmah emphasized that historically, the positions of Mantse, head of family, and Dzaasetse have been distributed among the Nii Arde Nkpa Stool families, with the Tackie family traditionally serving as Mantses, while the Tagoe family, to which she belongs, holds the headship and Dzaasetse roles.
As the eldest surviving female in her family line, Mrs. Arnmah asserts that the authority granted to her in 2012 to act as head of the Tagoe line empowers her to assume the overall headship of the Nii Arde Nkpa Stool family.
Despite the recent ruling, she intends to appoint representatives in her absence and ensure that this
matter is addressed to secure the family’s interests, particularly regarding compensation from the Irrigation Development Authority’s acquisition of the family’s land.
In her letter, Mrs. Arnmah calls for cooperation and aims for an early resolution of the leadership dispute to facilitate further legal and financial actions that benefit the family.