Juaso kingmakers affirm support for chief

KINGMAKERS OF Juaso, in the Asante Akim South District of the region, have made a statutory declaration in support of Nana Owusu Akyaw Prempeh II, who was enstooled Chief of Juaso in 1975.

The kingmakers, numbering 14, declared before Nana Ofori-Mensah Aborampah I, alias E. K. Mensah, a Konongo-based Commissioner of Oaths that they, being in the majority, have since 1975 enstooled Nana Kwesi Prempeh as Juasohene, under the stool name of Nana Owusu Akyaw Prempeh.

They declared, in accordance with the Statutory Declaration Act of 1971, that the Chief had, as a matter of fact, remained the Juasohene till date, and that he had never been destooled.

The declaration was in reaction to a purported directive by the Registrar of the Juaso Circuit Court, calling on the Chief to hand over Juaso Stool property to the kingmakers by March 14, 2008.

But the kingmakers said “it is pointless for any person or body to ask them (kingmakers) of Juaso to receive Juaso Stool Property and the Juaso Black Stool.”

The signatories included Nana Agyapong Ntra II (Kontihene), Nana Frimpong Manso II (Kyidomhene), Nana Kofi Agyei (Akyeamehene), Nana Kwaku Asamoah (Oyokohene of Juaso), Nana Owusu Mensah (Sompahene), Nana Yaw Oppong (Gyasehene), Nana Kwabena Nketiah (Twafo Regent of Yawkwei), and Nana Yaw Kentia (Akwamu Regent).

The rest are Nana Kojo Ofori (Kyeame), Opanin Kojo Nnuro (Abusuapanin of Kontihene), Opanin Kwabena Safo (Abusuapanin of Oyokohene), Opanin Kofi Abire (Denkyemenaso Abusuapanin) and Opanin Kwadwo Acquah (Kyidom Abusuapanin).

According to the signatories of the said declaration, a person who is variously called Dabehene, Nsafoahene or Nkonwasoafohene, is charged to take custody or possession of stool property or the Black Stool, under Asante custom.

They explained that in Juaso, stool property and the Black Stool have from time immemorial been in the custody of the Juaso kingmakers per the Gyasehene, who holds the key to the Stool Room and not the chief.

They corroborated a District Security Committee report on the vandalisation of the Juaso Palace in 1991, while Nana Owusu Akyaw had traveled to the USA, during which stool properties were stolen and a few damaged ones were sent to Kumasi for safe keeping, confirmed by a police inventory. The said the invasion of the Juaso Palace in 1991, was said to be at the instance of a prominent chief at Juaben.

They as well referred to the police invasion of the Juaso Palace in 1999, during which stool property including regalia and clothes were taken away without just cause, as confirmed by a CHRAJ report of October 1, 2003.