There is a heavy security presence in Akropong Akuapem. The armed Military and Police Personnel deployed from Accra have been in the community since Thursday Morning patrolling the town with armor vehicle and other riot control vehicles.
The security deployment was done ahead of a judgment delivered by the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs on the Chieftaincy matters of Okuapeman.
In the Judgement delivered Thursday April 30, 2020, the Regional House of Chiefs nullified the enstoolment of Odehye Kwasi Akufo as Okuapemhene.
Odehye Kwasi Akufo was enstooled by the Paramount Queen-mother (Okuapemhemaa) Nana Afua Nketia Obuo as the successor to the late Okuapemhene Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III who ruled for 41 years but died in 2015.
Ofori Kuma Stool has since remained vacant due to disputes among families in Sakyibea Royal family whose turn to nominate the next Okuapemhene.
The Okuapemhemaa Nana Afua Nketia Obuo selected Odehyie Kwasi Akuffo and installed him as the new Okuapemhene with a stool name Nana Oboubi Atiemo while Abrewatia of Sakyibea Royal family also nominated Nana Kese as Paramount Chief.
This chieftaincy dispute led to several clashes and distraction of properties in Akropong.
Lilly Nana Agyemang who is the Abrewatia of Sakyibea Royal family petitioned the Regional House Chiefs challenging the locus of the Paramount Queen-mother in selecting and installing Odehye Kwasi Akufo as Okuapemhene.
Delivering the judgment Thursday, April 30, 2020, amid tight security presence, the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chief stated copiously that ” the selection of a legible royal to be enstooled as Paramount Chief is prerogative power of the Abrewatia of the ruling family whose turn is it to select a candidate and submit the name of the royal to Asonahene to be sent to the Queenmother”
The House upheld that the Queen-mother failed to provide evidence that Odehye Kwasi Akuffo’s name was presented to the Asonahene as tradition demands.
The House also stated that in nominating a candidate, the Queen-mother alone cannot select a candidate from the Royal Family without the involvement of the Abrewatia.
It, therefore, stated that the installment of Odehye Kwasi Akufo is null and void hence must cease from parading himself as Okuapemhene.
The Regional House of Chiefs awarded GHS25,000 cost against the Queen mother.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
