The founder and CEO of the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel in the Upper West Region, popularly known as “Jirapa Dubai,” Mr. Eric Johnson, has been murdered, according to reports.
Reports suggest that the lifeless body of Mr. Eric Johnson was discovered in the early hours of Sunday, February 11, and suspected to have suffered from gunshot wounds by unidentified attackers.
The alleged murder of the business mogul was made known to the public in a Facebook post by one Kennedy Mornah, a reporter from the region. It is believed that Mr. Mornah has a close relationship with the deceased CEO.
”Owner of Jirapa Dubai allegedly murdered? How did we get here? A very sad way indeed to begin the year,” Kennedy Mornah posted on Facebook.
Meanwhile, some unconfirmed reports are connecting the gruesome murder of Mr. Johnson to chieftaincy issues in the Jirapa District, where the deceased hails from.
According to reports, Mr. Eric Johnson was allegedly complicit in a plot to force the Jirapa traditional area’s residents to elect a certain individual as chief.
The move by Mr. Johnson, according to reports, infuriated certain members of the royal family, who petitioned him along with other family members and the Tendaaba, who were plotting to name a chief for the traditional area.
“Mr Eric Johnson should be advised not to gamble with the peace of the Naa Angsoleh Aanaa/Naa Yelpoe Royal families,” portions of the petition read.
It added, “They, therefore, call on all families to rise against the naked conduct by Eric Johnson which is likely to breach the stool and, by extension, the PARAMOUNTCY the peace it is currently enjoying. We also wish to state that, the Jirapa Chieftaincy stool is not for sale and to be offered to the highest bidder.”
“The Royal Family wishes to state unequivocally that it is unfortunate, for Eric Johnson, whose late mother hails from the above Royal Families, to initiate schemes which are sacrilege to the customs and long cherished practices of the Dagaaba tradition for a sister’s son to purport to have a say in who becomes Chief of a vacant stool of the Jirapa Traditional Area,” the petitioners stressed.
Mr. Eric Johnson reportedly sued the petitioners in October last year at the Wa High Court to clear his name. However, the case is still before the court of law.
By Emmanuel Kwarteng
