'Gh₵ 100,000 compensation is peanuts', Odike displeased with Queen mother's verdict

The 2012 flagbearer of United Front Party (UFP), Akwasi Addae, popularly called 'Odike', is displeased with the verdict of the Asantehemaa's (Queen mother's) court in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, in a case he (Odike) had cursed the Asokwahene, Nana Fe Baamoah and Kojo Bonsu, Kumasi Mayor, over a land issue.

He said the Asantehemaa's court ordered that the Asokwahene should compensate him (Odike) with Gh₵ 100,000 for the demolition of a Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authori­ty (DVLA) testing complex which he was putting up at Asokwa in Kumasi.

He described the amount quoted as his compensation fee as peanut, adding that his (Odike) demand of Gh₵ 400,000 as compensation fee was rejected outright by the traditional court.

According to Odike, the demeanour of the chiefs and queen mothers present during the adjudica­tion of the case gave an indication that they (chiefs and queen mothers) were backing the Asokwahene.

"The chiefs and the queen moth­ers who sat on the case at the Asante­hemaa's palace seemed to support the Asokwahene for destroying my prop­erty and also taking my land forcefully with force," he complained.

The politician cum businessman, who was speaking on Hello FM, described the verdict of the traditional court as unfair, hinting that he would soon call a press conference in Kumasi to state his next line of action.

Odike was hauled to the Asante­hemaa's court for allegedly invoking the spirit of the dreaded 'Antoa Nyama' river deity to deal ruthlessly with the Asokwahene and the Kumasi mayor.

The UFP leader argued that the two personalities treated him badly by instigating the demolition of his property, and this influenced his decision to invoke the river deity to curse them.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, had banned the invocation of river deities to curse people in his kingdom. Odike was therefore, hauled to the Asantehemaa's palace to explain his action.

Speaking on Hello FM on Monday, Odike said he was not happy about the manner in which the matter was adjudicated at the Asantehemaa's palace.

According to him, the fetish priest at the 'Antoa Nyama' shrine, during a meeting between him and the Asokwahene, "ruled that the Asok­wahene erred in destroying the DVLA testing complex which I was constructing."

The UFP leader said the fetish priest therefore ordered that the Asokwahene should compensate him adequately so as to ensure lasting peace between them.

Odike said during another meet­ing at the Asantehemaa's palace, it was agreed that the Asokwahene was the guilty party so he should compen­sate him for destroying his property.

The UFP leader said, "I quoted Gh₵ 810,000 as the money I am demanding for my destroyed proper­ty and I later on reduced it to GHC400,000 after the chiefs and queen mothers asked him to reduce the figure."

Odike said, to his dismay, the Asantehemaa's court ordered that the Asokwahene should pay him only Gh₵ 100,000 as compensation fee.