Otumfuo is encouraging some aggrieved persons to rebel against the customary hold of Bomaa by Dormaa— Dormaahene fumes

The Omanhene of Dormaa, Osagyefo Agyeman Badu II says the killing of one person at Bomaa near Duayaw Nkwanta last weekend during the installation of a new chief of the town cannot be attributed to any violent clashes between any feuding parties.

He says there was no violent clash between two families leading to the death of one person but rather a disagreement within one family.

According to Osagyefo Agyeman Badu, those creating the impression that there was violence in the town may have done so as a ploy to get authorities to impose a curfew in the area.

In an interview, the Dormaahene, who also doubles as the President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, explained that historically, customarily and traditionally, Bomaa has no royal house by virtue of the fact that Dormaahemaa automatically is also the queen of Bomaa.

He further explained that becoming the chief of Bomaa, per Dormaa custom, is purely by appointment and not by succession and that was how the newly installed chief of Bomaa Barimah Kyeremeh Gyanaa was chosen.

“There is nothing like a royal family in Bomaa. Dormaahemaa is the Bomaahemaa because Dormaahene was staying at Bomaa before he moved to Abesim, moved to Jaman, and later to Cote D’Ivoire, and came back to Dormaa Ahenkro so that has been the case. So, Bomaa doesn’t have a queen. It’s the Dormaahemaa who is also the queen of Bomaa”, Osagyefo Agyeman Badu II clarified.

He added, “Initially, it was the Abakomahene (Head of the Royal House) of Dormaa who also served as the Bomaahene but later it was decided that there was the need to install a chief there and that brought in the late chief."

The chief noted that Bomaa has been under the Dormaa stool for over 400 years and questioned the basis for anyone to suggest that the town belongs to a different stool, adding that Barimah Kyeremeh Gyanaa, the newly installed chief of Bomaa is the duly recognized chief of the town and that should settle the matter.

“Bomaa became part and parcel of Dormaa in and around 1670 and since then, it has remained under the Dormaa stool and there is no dispute about this.

“Around 2007, the then chief of Bomaa passed away after which he was later buried alongside his funeral and so there was the need to install a new chief. So, we began the process as custom demands but some aggrieved family members were against the installation of a new chief," he stressed.

He also expressed worry about some comments purported to have been made on the matter by the Asantehene, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II, as “customarily wrong.”

According to Dormaahene, he was shocked to hear the Asantehene on tape, after he (the Asantehene) had met with some of the aggrieved persons at Manhyia, telling them that: “you know you are lost and you are coming.”

“Do you know what that means? It means he (Otumfuo is encouraging them to rebel against the customary hold of Bomaa by Dormaa. I realized that it was improper but because I was focused to perform the funeral of my brother who had died. I decided to keep quite because I knew nobody can prevent me from doing what custom permits me to do.”

He condemned attempts by some disgruntled persons in the town to rewrite the history of Bomaa and advised everyone to respect the customs and traditions of each paramountcy.