The Lead Counsel for the Paramount Queen-mother of Okuapeman, Lawyer Ansah Asare says it is uncustomary for a Chief to be enstooled by the military.
According to him, what happened over the weekend at Akropong was a slap in the face of tradition and customs.
“It is not customary to install a chief within 30 minutes with Military. This is alien in Okuapeman. We don’t have to accept this. It is Queen-mother who enstools chief not Military.”
Lawyer Ansah Asare said the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs upheld the unwavering ultimate powers of the Queen-mother in such processes; therefore, the enstoolment of the purported Okuapehene is void.
Speaking on Dadi 101.1 FM’s current affairs show dubbed “Efa WoHo”, with Nana Kwabena Appiah the renowned Lawyer said, the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs did not rule against the Queenmother’s traditional powers to enstooled a Chief, therefore, enstooling a Chief without the involvement of the Queen-mother is not customary.
Lawyer Ansah Asare revealed that the enstoolment of Process that happened over the weekend was carefully planned right from the timing of ruling of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs to the deployment of armed Police and Military and the rush at which the entire exercise was done.
“Initially they said the ruling was fixed at 10:00am later moved to 2:00pm then to 4:00pm. The petitioner did not even come to court because she was told I was going to serve notice of appeal.”
Nonetheless, Lawyer Ansah Asare hinted that he will file an appeal against the ruling of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and initiate other legal processes to nullify the enstoolment of the purported Paramount Chief.
Thirty-Four (34) year old Odehye Kwadwo Kesse was on Sunday sworn in and outdoored as the new Okuapehene with the stool name Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akufo II.
The ceremony took place privately in the Chief Palace at Akropong.
Oseedeayo Kwasi Akuffo II becomes the ninth Chief to ascend the Ofori Kuma Stool. He is the youngest paramount Chief in Ghana so far.
The 34-year-old Okuapehene holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the West Chester Community College, Val Halla, New York after completing his secondary school education at the Presbyterian Boys Senior High school, Legon in Accra.
All five Divisional Chiefs in Okuapeman also sworn oath of allegiance to the new Okuapehene.
Continuity of traditional processes for enstooled of new Okuapehene started Friday, May 1, 2020, amid tight security following the nullification of nomination and enstoolment processes of Odehye Kwasi Akuffo by the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs on Thursday, April 30, 2020.
The Okuapehene stool became vacant for almost five years after the demise of Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwah III due to disputes among the Sakyeabea Royal family over who is the legible candidate to succeed the late Chief who reigned for 41 years.
The stool has three ruling houses, Nketia, Amogyaa, and Sakyibea. It is the turn of the Sakyeabea ruling house to select a candidate to be installed as Okuapehene which has been done over the weekend despite criticism of breach of social distancing and public gathering.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
