Oti Boateng Face Destoolment

THE ABUSUAPANIN of the Yiadom and Hwediem royal family of the New Juaben Traditional Area in the Eastern region, Nana Kwaku Boateng, has asked the Omanhene of the traditional area, Daasebre Prof (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, to honourably abdicate the stool or face destoolment by the royal family.

The Abusuapanin gave a 40-day ultimatum, starting from the next Akwasiedae, for Daasebre Oti Boateng to comply with the directive or risk being disgraced by a compulsory and customary destoolment following a number of charges preferred against him by his subjects, some members of the royal family and a greater number of sub-chiefs within the traditional area.

The Abusuapanin said after his destoolment, Daasebre Oti Boateng would also be dragged to court to account for his stewardship and all monies that had accrued to the stool under his leadership.

Announcing his intention to destool Daasebre Oti Boateng at a press conference yesterday at Koforidua, Nana Kwaku Boateng said it was time Daasebre Oti Boateng abdicated the stool so as to help preserve its sanctity as he had desecrated the stool by arrogantly destroying all regalia of his predecessor, Nana Kwaku Boateng II, such as cloths, umbrellas, foot stools, elephant tails used as whisks and pictures portraying the activities and lifestyle of the longest ruling paramount chief.

According to the Abusuapanin, Daasebre Oti Boateng had not only succeeded in creating factionalism in the traditional area, but had also antagonized some members of the royal family and sub-chiefs of the traditional area who criticized his style of leadership, thereby creating unnecessary tension and compromising the security and unity of the traditional area.

The Abusuapanin also said Daasebre Oti Boateng was as an autocratic leader and had never accounted for his stewardship since he was 'wrongly' enstooled in 1992.

'We have New Juaben Development Fund which many people have contributed to and as of now we do not know what has happened to the fund while Oti Boateng boasts around that he had used his own personal money to rehabilitate the palace,' Nana Boateng noted, adding that Daasebre Oti Boateng's claim that he had used his money to rehabilitate the palace was false because they had records of citizens of New Juaben who had contributed towards the rehabilitation of the palace.

'What has Oti Boateng been using all the monies that accrue to the New Juaben state for? When was the last time he paid allowances due sub-chiefs?' he queried, stressing that sooner or later the Omanhene would be made to account for all monies that had accrued to the New Juaben state.

The Abusuapanin alleged that after so much money had been spent on the rehabilitation of the palace, Daasebre Oti Boateng had refused to live there and had abandoned the place to rot.

He said Daasebre Oti Boateng had also slighted elders of the Yiadom and Hwediem stool by openly saying that he was begged to ascend the throne despite the fact that Nana Juaben Serwaa II and Abusuapanin of Old Juaben, Nana Kwame Akrasi, had strongly objected to his enstoolment.

'I Abusuapanin Kwaku Boateng can say that the enstoolment of Daasebre Oti Boateng was flawed because he did not go through the proper customary rites and under his almost 20 years rule, New Juaben state has seen little or no development as well as the retardation of our cherished cultural and traditional values,' he said, stressing that he would use all means possible to destool Daasebre Oti Boateng if he did not voluntarily abdicate the Yiadom and Hwediem stool 40 days from the next Akwasidae.

From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Koforidua