Bibiani Clash: I Never Took Gun To The Premises Of Mensin River Perform Rituals! -Nana Ebiri Kwaku III Fires At Self-Styled Bibianihene
The Chief of Bibiani Hwenapori in the Sefwi Ahwiaso Traditional Area of the Western North Region, Nana Ebiri Kwaku III, has denied holding gun or ammunition on him before going to the premises of the Mensin River in Bibiani to perform the necessary traditional rituals to pave the way for Mensin Gold Bibiani Limited, the multinational large-scale mining firm to start operations in Bibiani.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
The Chief of Bibiani Hwenapori in the Sefwi Ahwiaso Traditional Area of the Western North Region, Nana Ebiri Kwaku III, has denied holding gun or ammunition on him before going to the premises of the Mensin River in Bibiani to perform the necessary traditional rituals to pave the way for Mensin Gold Bibiani Limited, the multinational large-scale mining firm to start operations in Bibiani.
According to him, the wide spread media reports attributed to the former destooled chief of Bibiani, Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom II to the effect that he have in possession of ammunition before he led the chiefs and elders to perform the rituals at the Mensin River was a complete "hoax and falsehood," being peddled by Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom II to tarnish his hard won reputation because he personally hate him.
"If it is true that l have a gun or ammunition on me, why is it that the police officers who were talking to him whilst they were on the ground to and fro, non of them saw that l am holding the gun.
"When we even watch the footage of the video being taken by the reporter of the Angel TV on the ground, you would see that l am not holding any gun," he stressed.
"I managed to starch a gun from a man when it has gotten to the serious point when people shouted that we should run for ourselves because the thugs have override the police officers protecting security on the ground and attempted to visit gun attack on them.
"So it was this very moment that I forcibly snatch the gun from one of the men who was just passing-by to defend myself," the chief of Bibiani Hwenapori explained.
Additionally, the chief stressed that the gun was not my personal one, saying that after the incident the man called and came for his gun.
He maintained that there are a lots of video footages which proved that he didn't hold the gun before going to the ground to perform the rituals.
"Even when the thugs override the police officers protecting security on the ground, by then l was even talking to Bibiani Divisional Police Commander and l was not holding the gun and that the commander himself can testify that l am not holding a gun," Nana Ebiri Kwaku III stated.
"By then lam talking to the Bibiani Police Divisional Commander who through our conversation stated that he foreseen that the people (thugs) who besieged the ground are very angry and that the police officer suggested that we should hold on to the programme and renegotiate to come back to perform the rituals in another date."
The senior police officer was suggesting that to me and before l heard the shout that we should all ran for our lives because the people had over powered the police. So l have to ran to the certain distance before l was able to snatch the gun from the man to defend myself," he repeated.
"If let us say l am holding gun in my car and if the peace has broken out why is it that l cannot use my gun to protect myself. Because l know that I am not going there in intention that l am going to loss the fight that is why l am not holding the gun.
"l knew for sure that the whole Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Ghana Police Police Service would even tell me that l am stupid because if l am holding the gun to defend myself but l would be sitting aloof for some body to shoot and kill me before l react," Nana Ebiri Kwaku III
Nana Ebiri Kwaku III made the statement when he was reacting to the allegations leveled against him by Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom II who stated that former had with him a local ammunition before he moved to the ground
But in response, Nana Ebiri Kwaku III reiterated that he snatched the gun from the man to protect himself and the other sub-chiefs of his entourage from being harmed by his opponent.
Five persons who sustained wounds and bruises from machetes, pelted stones and stray bullets were admitted but three have reportedly been discharged.
It follows that a youth group belonging to the Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom II prevented a delegation from the Odikro of Anhwiaso Hwenapori, Nana Ebiri Kwaku III, from performing traditional rituals at the river Mensin to pave ways for a large-scale mining firm, to start operations in the area.
The agitated youth claimed they did not understand why a traditional leader from an adjoining community should be the one performing the rituals when they have one in the area.
Nana Ebiri Kwaku III accused Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom II of playing a critical role in the recent chieftaincy clash between some factions of Bibiani and Anhwiaso Traditional Authorities.
He maintained Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom II incited his people to attack them in their attempt to visit the river Mensin to perform some rituals.
“Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom factions were attacking us from the opposite direction even in the police presence so our youths said they were not going to sit down for my name to be tarnished as a chief.”
He alleged that Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom had preached to his people that when they allow him [Odikro] to take full control of the rite performing at the riverside, the possibility of not receiving any job offers in the mining firm is high.
The rationale he described it as “baseless”, and wondered why a chief would have such imagination, knowing that he [Odikro] is not in the capacity as an HR who hired workers to the firm.
He further refuted claims suggesting that the clash was a result of resettlement issues, but disclosed they were only going to pour libation.
The Libation, he said, was to “thank the gods and the ancestors of the land for the discovery of the gold in the area and not resettlement as alleged by Nana Ngoah Anyimah Okodom.”
