Setting The Record Straight; “Who Say Man No Dey?”

Dr. Samuel O. Bortei-Doku is the authentic Nungua Mantse, and his stool name is “Wor-Nii Borkete-Laweh XIV”. Mr. Justice Nii Laryeafio Akatooi, self-styled “King Odaifio Welentsi lll”, is not the Nungua Mantse.

On Thursday 11th March 1999, Dr. Samuel Nii-Okla Bortei-Doku, a retired academician and a true royal of Nungua, was anointed and installed paramount chief of the Nungua Traditional Area, initially with stool name ‘Wor-Nii Bortelabi Borkete-Laweh I’ [3rd Dynasty]. But to avoid the complication of dynasties, it was decided to continue from the last number of the first dynasty monarchs. The stool name therefore eventually became ‘Wor-Nii Bortelabi Borkete-Laweh XIV’. The ceremony took place on the hills of Legon, the ancient capital of Wordoku and the seat of government of the Borkete-Lawehs.

Radio Universe went on air with the news the same night. The Ghanaian Times carried the news five days later on Tuesday 16th March 1999. Exactly a week later on 23rd March 1999, a rejoinder was published by the same Ghanaian Times on page 5 with the title “Bortei-Doku Installed Nungua Paramount Chief” by the custodians of the ‘Oswe stool’ to which the family of Mr. Laryeafio Akatoi is privileged. This is the war stool or bodyguard stool – and it is NOT the royal stool. The custodians noted emphatically that they had not placed anyone on it since 1991.

Wor-Nii Borkete-Laweh XIV was afterwards presented to the general public by the then Acting Manklalo, Nii Sam Prempeh, who is now the Akutsotse of Dzenge We. Wor-Nii was then inducted into the Nungua Divisional Council.

The following people were present and were witnesses of the ceremony: Nii Tettey Bortier, Nungua Woleiatse; Nii Bortekwei Borlabi, Otseame; Lumo Borte Konkonu I, Borte We Mantse; Nii Borlabi Dunu l, Dzenge We Mantse; Nii Borkete Tsetsrenya, Kpetenhu Mantse; Nii Alabi Gbene l, Sakumono Mantse; Nii Kaklo Ampao I, Borkwei We Mantse; Nii Borketey Ewulu, later Dzenge We Dzaasetse; Nii Agbosu Apleh, Oofu We Akutsotse; Tsilefoi A’Shipi Agbetekor lV, Borte We Asafoiatse; Nii Seesee Bortei, Borte We Dzaasetse; Nii E. B. Bortier (Ataa Agbetekor), Borte We Akutsotse; Asongorfoiatse Nii Bolabi Kpla lll, Osokrono We Asafoiatse; Nii Tawiah Omlugu, Borkwei Asafoiatse; Former Nungua Woleiatse, Nii B.M Boyefio, Osokrono We Elder; Ataa Blase Bortier, Borte We Elder; Mr. Emmanuel Boyefio Torler, Osokrono We Elder; Mr. Nyongmorworko, Osokrono We Elder; Nii Ninepence Borkwei, Mr. E. Q. Nii Anme (aka Teacher Kwei), Borte We Elder; Mr. Francis Bortey We Elder; Bshp.. E. B. Borquaye, Borte We Elder; Ataa Alabi Abeku aka Teacher Alabi, Borte We Elder; Ataa Abotsi Borkwei, Borte We Elder.

People of blessed memory who were also there but are no more with us include Wor Nuumo Bormawu Borkete Laweh Tsuru, Gborbu Wulomo, Shitse. Nii Abotsi Borlabi, then Krowor Gonti; Nii Borkete Kuma, Oofu We Mantse; Nii Bortei Peppefo (aka Fiotse), Borkwei We Dzaasetse; may their souls rest in perfect peace in the Good Lord

Some of the present youth who were witnesses include Borkete Akufo Akuete, Dzenge We; Samuel Borkete Agoligo, Borkwei We; Solo Borkete-La, Borte We; Borte Ajaben Bortier, Borte We, Milla Akwete & Akuete, Borte We; Borte Akanpia Osokrono We; Ataana, Dzenge We; Sam-Best, Borte We; Blenya, Borte We; Ataa Amui Bortier (carpenter), Borte We; Borte Ehoontoing, aka Gbelai, Osokrono We; Bortei Akwaba, Borkwei We; Bortier-Body, Borkwei We; Odum Mensah, Borkwei We; Tèn Bortei Naadin Boye, Osokrono We; Borlabi Naadin Boye, Osokrono We.

When Nii Odai Ayiku IV got back from exile he was declared as the Nungua Mantse by the High Court. Wor-Nii Borkete-Laweh XIV, in his capacity as the Nungua Mantse (and not an ordinary citizen) sued him at the same High Court, to nullify the declaration. The case reached the Supreme Court and Wor-Nii won victory at every point unanimous.

The case was considered so important that it was recorded in the Supreme Court of Ghana Law Report as:

SCGLR 413 IN RE NUNGUA CHIEFTAINCY AFFAIRS: ODAI AYIKU IV vs ATTORNEY GENERAL (BORKETE-LAWEH XIV APPLICANT) held on page 424 as follows:

The records before us indicate that in absence of appellant, someone else was purportedly installed as the chief of Nungua. That person was later replaced by the applicant respondent in this appeal in 1999."

The “applicant respondent in this appeal” who was enstooled in 1999 is ‘Wor-Nii Bortelabi Borkete-Laweh XIV’ (a.k.a. Dr. Samuel O. Bortei-Doku).

Now I challenge Mr. Ellis Kwei Nyɔŋmɔ Ajɔɔbo, aka Nii Alabi Okasakpi, the so-called ‘Laweh Dzaasetse’, and anyone whose name has appeared in this publication to come out and tell the whole world that Wor-Nii Bortelabi Borkete-Laweh XIV (aka Dr. Sam Nii-Okla Bortei-Doku) is not the rightful Nungua Mantse by the strict authentic Nungua succession rule and by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

I challenge Mr. Justice Nii Laryeafio Akatoi, aka King Odaifio Welentsi lll to name the stool he occupies and his kingmakers. Where and when in Nungua was he brought outdoors and who presented him to the public? Whom did he swear allegiance to and who were present on that occasion?

Many of us witnessed the installation activities of Nii Osabu Adjin l at Adjin We in 1985 and his out-dooring ceremony at Ablorkoor Jrano.

I challenge the self-styled King Odaifio Welentsi III to name one thing he has done for the people of Nungua.

I challenge “King Odaifio Welentsi III” to tell us why he did not query the exclusion of his picture from the portraits of “GaDangme Chiefs and Elders” that was published in the brochure for the Centennial celebration of King Tackie Tawiah I, even though the portrait of Wor-Nii Borkete-Laweh XIV was published, and in the first position?