Essumeja youth halt celebration of Akwasidae
THE YOUTH of Essumeja in the Bekwai Municipality have restrained the Aduana Stool elders from observing the Akwasidae festival, or face their wrath.
They said until the stool elders prove to be proactive, they (youth) would not countenance what they say are unnecessary practices, and that the youth and community would not gain anything from such traditional practices.
The youth, led by one Osei Hyiaman, have communicated their threat, supposed to put the fear of God in the elders, through the Registrar of the Essumeja Traditional Council.
The Gyasehene, Nana Twum Barima Appau, and the Sanaahene, Nana Owusu Koko, have confirmed that the contents of the letter had been read out to the elders at a Traditional Council meeting.
The Chronicle has gathered that the Krontihene and acting President of the Traditional Council, Nana Ntim Banahene, had lodged a formal complaint with the local police, in case the youth carry out their threat.
Left with no option, the elders have obliged, as a result of which they have not been able to observe the Akwasidae since April 17, 2011.
The youth have accused the elders of failure on their part to ensure that a chief is nominated and installed seven years after the death of the chief, thus stifling the development of the town.
According to them, the elders seem not to be bothered about the near stalemate of the Essumeja Stool Affair, which is pending before the Asanteman Council.
For some time now, the Essumeja Youth Association has been mounting pressure on the Queenmother and kingmakers of the Traditional area to ensure that a chief is installed without delay.
Nana Adwoa Obro Pokuaa Nyankronpon is currently contesting her eligibility as Queenmother of Essumeja before the Asanteman Council, after her role was challenged by another royal, Madam Adwoa Aboraa, for which a five-member Judicial Committee, headed by the Achirensuahene, Agyewodin Adu Gyamfi Ampem, was appointed in May 2008.
The committee, on March 16, 2010, established in its report that Nana Adwoa Pokuaa Obro Nyankropon was not a royal, and that she was imposed on the people some 31 years ago.
But, before the Asanteman Council could endorse the decision of the committee, which was unanimous and premised on the evidence regarding the respective family trees of the parties involved, the Queenmother raised an objection to the findings of the committee, whose membership comprises Nana Owusu Ankoma, Seikwahene; Kyeame Boakye Yam, Nana Sabronum and Nana Adu Baa Ansah, Yamfohene, insisting that she is a royal of the stool.
Following that, the Asanteman Council agreed to re-examine evidence, including video recordings of proceedings in three days (March 29 to 31, 2010) against the committee's report.
When the Council met on April 1, 2010 to pronounce verdict, 16 chiefs, including the Manso-Nkwantahene, Bechemhene, Asokwa Mamponghene, Asafo Akwamu, Offinsohene, Tafohene, Mabanhene, Ejisuhene, Bekwaihene, Kokofuhene, Oyoko Bremanhene, Kwamanghene and the Adontenhene, overturned the committee's report by siding with the claims of the Queenmother that she was eligible to the stool.
The Hiahene and the paramount chiefs of Banda, Adankrangya, Nsuta, Ankobiahene, Adumhene, Atipinhene and the Nkosuohene were in support of the stand of the committee.
April 8, 2010 was then fixed for final determination, but the Queenmother failed to turn up, claiming she was indisposed, according to a medical report presented by a special aide, one Akwasi Dwomoh, who has since told the Council that it was a lie.
When the Asanteman Council resumed sitting on Essumeja over three days, (November 15-17, 2010), Nana Nyankropon was literally given a technical knockout, when she fumbled in arguing her case before the august council, headed by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene.
The challenger, Madam Adwoa Aboraa, presented her family tree to convince the Council that the late Odeneho Oduro Numapau hailed from Tikrom, and therefore was not of Essumeja royal blood, therefore, his installation of the Queenmother was absolutely improper.
Testifying through her spokesperson, Kwabena Osei Bonsu, Madam Aboraa said of the 16 chiefs who ascended the Essumeja Stool, only three were not from the Essumeja Sefwi Aduana royal household.
She said because the late Oduro Numapau was not from the royal house, and that the elders invoked the Ntamkesie (great oath) against him at Manhyia, but luckily for him, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, told the elders that he had absolved the Ntamkesie, and that they should allow him on to the stool.
She said Oduro Numapau never saw eye to eye with the then Queenmother, Nana Frema II, and even used force to take the royal regalia in her possession, which were later retrieved by an order of a court through an executive instrument.
It was narrated that it was on his death that Oduro Numapau installed Obro Nyankropon as the Queenmother, even though she was not a royal.
Madam Aboraa said: 'We have waited all this while to regain our rightful possession, hence the Ntamkesie against the Queenmother.'
The Queenmother was, however, saved by the bell, as the Kokofuhene, Barima Kwasi Offe Okogyiaseuo went to her rescue.
Looking confused and completely dazed by the weight of evidence against her, the Kokofuhene, her neighbour, had no option than to step in to save the Queenmother of Essumeja from the onslaught of her challenger.
Following the Kokofuhene's intervention, the case was adjourned for a week, to enable the Kokofuhene advice the Queenmother.
But, the much-anticipated resolution in December 2010 could not come on, as the Queenmother rejected the mediation efforts by Barima Offe Kwasi Okogyeasuo.
She told Otumfuo that she wished to give her testimony and contest the claim that she was not a legitimate Queenmother, to which Otumfuo obliged.
When the Asanteman Council met on February 17, 2011, the Queenmother sent in an excuse-duty from a Bekwai hospital to the effect that she needed a one-month rest.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had no other alternative, but to grant her excuse.
The determination of the Essumeja case, which has been in a stalemate since February this year, would set the stage for the enstoolment of a chief for the town.
It would also pave the way for the successful celebration of the Odwira festival, which has repeatedly been postponed.
It has been Otumfuo's wish to settle the Essumeja issue as soon as possible to enable him tackle other equally important issues like that of the Kumawu and Adansi Stool affairs.
The Essumeja Aduana Stool has been vacant since the death of Odeneho Oduro Numapau II in 2003, thus creating a vacuum in the composition of Asanteman, which is currently without a Benkumhene in the person of a substantive chief of Essumeja, who heads the Benkum Division of the Asante Kingdom.
It is in view of these developments that the youth want the Essumeja Stool elders to assert themselves and ensure that the Essumeja chieftaincy dispute is determined without any further delay.