The Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Prof.Emeritus Oti Boateng has stated that the decision to demolish the statue of the late Prince Emmanuel Yao Boateng was erected in Koforidua in January 2021 by his children, was a collective decision by the traditional council.
He said the decision is final adding that “No Homosepien can challenge me. I make wise decisions, so I will continue to subdue and subdue and subdue”. He told Mybrytfmonline.com.
Meanwhile, some residents of New Juaben in the Eastern Region have berated Daasebre Prof. Emeritus Oti Boateng for pulling down the statue of Prince Emmanuel Yao Boateng, son of the late Nana Kwaku Boateng I, first Chief to ascend the New Juaben Stool.
Many residents took to social media to voice out their displeasure. Some called on the Omanhene to channel his energy on matters of development.
They accused Daasebre Oti Boateng of doing nothing to develop New Juaben.
“He should as well change the name of the roundabout. What change has he brought to New Juaben aside from speaking big English and boasting of the title “emeritus” Joshua Atta Mensah wrote.
Awura Abena Osaah also wrote “Can you imagine? The place is called Prince Boateng roundabout… what is wrong with having a statue of the person there? Mede3 mabr3 saaa Ohene wei koraa. Aaah you won’t do anything, people are doing it nsoaa buei”.
The Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional area together with the traditional area ordered for the demolishing of the statue erected at Prince Boateng Roundabout in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Capital on Friday, March 23, 2022.
The statue described by the traditional council as “offensive and a dirty trick ” to suggest that the late ” Prince Emmanuel Yao Boateng ” was a royal was pulled down on Friday, March 19, 2021, sparking confusion.
According to the Traditional council, the statue was erected by children of the late Oheneba Yao Boateng without the permission of Daasebre Prof. Emeritus Oti Boateng – Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Council, describing the action by the family as gross disrespect to the Yiadom Hwedie stool.
The Council said the decision to forcibly pull down the statue was necessitated by failure by the children of the late Oheneba Yao Boateng to remove the statue having promised and apologized when summoned to the palace on February 5, 2021, by the traditional council.
“The Children have also on two different occasions, on 5th March and 19th March 2021 respectively, refused to honor specific requests by the traditional council to attend its meetings on the issue. It has emerged that Oheneba Yao Boateng’s children have produced and widely distributed a video of the offensive statue in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Ghana. The Traditional Council has a copy of the video which is repugnant to the history and sensibilities of the Chiefs and people of New Juaben” the traditional council said in a statement released.
The traditional council contended that the late Oheneba Yao Boateng is not a royal from the Yiadom Hwedie family but derived his status from the fact that his father was Nana Kwaku Boateng I, who reigned as Omanhene of New Juaben from 1913 to1930.
“One would have expected the children of Oheneba Yao Boateng, who erected the statue, to exercise due diligence and circumspection by first considering their grandfather, Nana Kwaku Boateng I, for the honor rather than his son and their father. The inscription Prince Emmanuel Yao Boateng instead of Oheneba Yao Boateng boldly on the said statue is also considered very offensive to the Akan customary practice and usage. From the matrifocal analysis of the Akan kingship structure, Oheneba Yao Boateng, whose mother is not Akan, is also not Akan. The said inscription is therefore a dirty trick that Oheneba Yao Boateng belongs to the Yiadom Hwedie Royal lineage without the pertinent blood of consanguinity.“
The New Juaben Traditional council further annexed that, the late Oheneba Yao Boateng did not achieve anything tangible in New Juaben to merit a statue in his honor in such a strategic area.
According to the traditional Council, the demolished statue will be replaced by the statue of Nana Kwaku Boateng I, to commemorate his unique contribution as the Omanhene who built the New Juaben Palace.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
