Gov’t Must Set Up A Court To Resolve Chieftaincy Disputes

Last Monday, May 15, 2017, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, brought to end a chieftaincy dispute which has been brewing between two paramount chiefs in the Ashanti Region.

Otumfuo's Akwamuhene, Baffour Kwame Akowuah III, and Omanhene of the Manso Nkwanta Traditional Area, Nana Bi-Kusi Appiah, have been fighting over who is the overlord of Datano, a community under the Manso Adubia Stool.

The dispute has claimed several lives and destroyed properties running into several millions of Ghana cedis.

Resolving the impasse, the Asantehene declared that Datano falls under the jurisdiction of Manso Nkwanta, and, therefore, Nana Bi-Kusi Appiah, who is the Omanhene of the Manso Nkwanta Traditional Area, is the Overlord.

The Chronicle commends the Ashanti King for exercising his authority to put an end to a chieftaincy dispute which has claimed many lives.

Looking at the personalities involved in the dispute, and the way the whole issue unfolded, one would have expected that the Asantehene would tilt towards one direction, which would have escalated matters, but he was right on point to deliver a judgment which has brought peace to the hitherto hostile territory.

Information available to The Chronicle indicates that Datano is the Benkum (Left wing) of the Manso Nkwanta Traditional Council, and owes allegiance to the Traditional Area.

In February 2016, the Chief of Datano, Nana Kwadwo Boateng III, alias Mr. Kwadwo Nimo, passed away.

Two months later, Nana Adjei, alias Kwadwo Francis, was installed Chief of the town, and he swore the oath of allegiance to the Chief of Abiram, with the support of Otumfuo's Akwamuhene, who is the Overlord of Manso Akwamu, and also the Chief of Asafo in Kumasi.

After his installation, Nana Adjei claimed that Nana Boateng III, who he succeeded, was not a member of the Royal Asona Family.

Dissatisfied with the conduct of Otumfuo's Akwamuhene, the Omanhene of the Manso Nkwanta Traditional Area, where Datano serves as Benkum (Left wing), in December 2016, also installed Nana Akwasi Boateng IV as the Chief of Datano, with the support of Nana Pomaa II, Obaapanin of Datano.

Nana Akwasi Boateng IV also disputed the claim by Nana Adjei that the late chief was not a member of the Royal Asona Family, and explained that the deceased chief had been Odikro of Datano for many years.

The accusations and counter-accusations degenerated into the fight for supremacy over Datano, which resulted in clashes between followers of the two chiefs.

The violence intensified so much that Nana Akwasi Boateng IV, who was installed by the Omanhene of the Manso Nkwanta Traditional Area, had to go into self-imposed exile, after his palace was attacked on December 12, 2016 by followers of his opponents.

The development was thereafter brought to the attention of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for his intervention, which has restored peace in the area, thus maintaining the peace in the region.

Given the numerous chieftaincy disputes scattered all over the country, right from the three northern regions, through to the Greater Accra Region that are claiming lives and destroying properties, there is the need for a higher authority to bring peace to the traditional areas.

The Chronicle, therefore, wishes to advise the government to come out with a law that can set up a justice system, which will be able to resolve chieftaincy disputes in the shortest possible time.

The system, as it is now, to this paper, is cumbersome and too prolonged, which could take more than 10 to 20 years to resolve a dispute, which would give one party, particularly, the accused on the throne, the comfort and power to remain where he/she does not belong.

For example, if the government could set up a court to handle chieftaincy issues only, from across the country, beside the education the houses of chiefs are giving to their members, a time would come when there will be no chieftaincy dispute in Ghana.