Okuapemhenemaa Under Fire Over Chieftaincy Blues

Nana Afua Nketiaa Obuo II, queen mother of the Akuapeman Traditional Council in the Eastern Region, is under pressure to select a successor to the late Okuapemhene Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa II.

Two prominent persons, Odehyie Kwasi Akuffo, known in private life as Joe Farrel and Nana Kwadwo Kese, both from the Sakyeabea Royal Family, were purportedly installed as paramount chiefs by the queen mother, Nana Nketia Obuo and Baamuhene Nana Afari Bampoe last week, mounting tension in the town.

It took the intervention of the Eastern Regional Police Command with reinforcement from Accra to bring the situation under control.

According to reports, the queen mother bypassed the kingmakers and refused to take the name from the Aberewatea Lilly Nana Agyeman, who is to appoint the Omanhene from the Sakyiabea Family.

However, the queen mother has also parried the allegations, saying they did 'adequate' consultations before selecting Odehyie Kwasi Akuffo.

He insisted that it was not the duty of Baamuhene or Amonokromhene to pick the successor to the late Addo Dankwa II.

Matters came to a head last Tuesday when the selection process was started in the palace of Nana Kwasi Omenako II, who is the head of the Akuapem Asona Royal Family (Asonahene).

The Okuapemhemaa introduced Odehye Kwasi Akuffo to the Asonahene as the proposed successor to the late Omanhene and the nominee was sent to 'Mogyawere,' the palace of the Adumhene, Adu Panyin II, for confinement for about 40 days for traditional tutelage.

In the process, the Baamuhene, who was arrested by the police in the company of Nana Osim Kwatia, chief of Amanokrom and Akuapem Gyaasehene Nana Yaw Afari Bampoe, brought Kwadwo Kesse, slaughtered sheep and spilled the blood on his feet to signify the selection of another Okuapemhene.

They allegedly took over the palace and installed Kwadwo Kesse to occupy the Omanahene's Hall at the palace, as a new paramount chief.

Nana Kwasi Omenako II said he would use every peaceful means to ensure that the rightful person is enstooled as the paramount chief for the people.

A release signed by the Asonahene on Friday said “the Asonehene and Ohemaa Nana Afua Nketia Obuo II wish to take this medium to assure all descendants, friend and well-wishers and the entire nation that as peaceful as the people of Akuapem are and have been since the formation of Okuapem Traditional State by our ancestors, we will employ every resource at our disposal to ensure a peaceful end to this unfortunate happening.

“The first set of the entire process of installation is purely an Asona Family affair, thus the Ohemaa, who is the queen mother of the Asona Family and the Asonahene, the head of the family, are the lawful traditional authorities to lead the process.

“What the Baamuhene faction did last week during the installation process of Odehyie Kwasi Akuffo where they broke into the palace and tried to enstool Nana Kese is unheard of and uncustomary in the Asona history of Akuapem since 1733.”