Osabarma is still our chief; Asafo companies declared

The seven Asofo companies, Supi council and the kingmakers of Cape Coast traditional council say, despite a high court ruling that the name of the Omanhen of Cape Coast, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II be expunged from the National House of Chiefs register, they still recognise him as their paramount chief.

They have subsequently rejected the court’s ruling saying, for a paramount chief such as the Oguaa manhen to be destooled, certain procedures needed to be followed.

In a press statement signed and issued by Supi of Bentsir Asafo no.3 Company, Nana Kofi Ahobow, the ruling of the high court that went viral on social media and consequently published by some media houses were false.

According to the statement, chieftaincy act 2008 clearly spells out procedures that ought to be followed before a chief can be destooled.

The statement added that, the act states as follows: “except where deposition is accepted without challenge and subject to an appeal, a chief is not despised unless:

Deposition charges have been instituted against the chief and
The appropriate customary practices for deposition in the area concerned have been complied with.

“We the Kingmakers of Cape Coast are not aware that any process of destoolment and for that matter the procedures provided for under the chieftaincy Act have been complied with”. The statement revealed.

It will be recalled that the Central Regional Supervising High Court judge, Justice Gbiel Simon Surebaareh, Wednesday ordered the National House of Chiefs to delete the name of the paramount chief of Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II from their register on fraud charges.

The ruling by Justice Surebaareh who is also an appeal court judge, followed an application filed at the court by Opanyin Kofi Amoono and three other major members of the Ebiradze Royal family of Cape Coast.

Opanyin Amoono and the other three royal family members led by their counsel, Mr. Constantine Kudzedzi challenged the registration of the paramount chief, Nana Kwesi Atta II and subsequently prayed the court to order the National House of Chiefs to strike out Nana Atta’s name from the register of chiefs.

The case of the plaintiff was that, the nomination, election and enstoolment of Osabarima Kwesi Atta II as the paramount chief of the Oguaa traditional area in 1998 was fraudulent.

According to the writ of summons filed by the plaintiffs on 27^th July 2006, Nana Kwesi Atta known in private life as Mr. J. S. Haizel was supposedly nominated and installed the chief of Oguaa traditional area when Nana Mbra v, then paramount chief of Cape Coast died.

They further argued that whiles a petition filed by the late Ekow Garbrah and three others challenging the legitimacy of Osabarima was pending at the Judicial committee of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Afari Twako VI the then Acting President of the Oguaa Tradidtional Coucil, sent a Chieftaincy Declaration Form in respect of Nana Atta to the CRHC.

The plaintiffs averred that sections of the chieftaincy declaration form that asked whether or not there was a petition challenging the installation of Osabarima as well as whether he had in his possession Black Stool well both answered in an affirmative whiles it should have been yes and no respectively.

The court held the argument of the plaintiffs hence the order.