The Paramount Queen-mother of Okuapeman Nana Afua Nketia Obuo II has through his counsel Kwaku Ansa-Asare strongly condemned President Akufo Addo for his recent comment on Okuapeman chieftaincy matters.
President Akufo-Addo on October 6, 2021, as part of his three-day tour of the Eastern region, paid a courtesy call on Okuapehene Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo II
and said, Akropong being his hometown, he owes it a duty to bring finality to the chieftaincy dispute in Okuapeman and ensure that Omanhene is accepted by all the Divisional Chiefs and properly gazetted.
Okuapehene, Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo II, 36, known in private life as Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi succeeded Oseadeeyo Nana Addo Dankwa III who died seven years ago.
He was enstooled Okuapehene on May 3, 2020. However, the Paramount Queen-mother Nana Afua Nketiaa Obuo II and a faction in Sakyiabea Royal family are still litigating that laid down Traditional processes were not duly followed hence the installation in their view is null and void. They are battling him at the law court and the House of Chiefs having injuncted him not to carry himself as Okuapehene until the final determination of the case.
But according to President Akufo-Addo, the chieftaincy dispute in Akropong will be resolved for the Okuapehene to be accepted and gazetted just as he has achieved in Yendi and Ga Traditional areas.
However, speaking to the media in Koforidua on Monday, October 11, 2021, the counsel for the Paramount Queen-mother and a claimant of the stool Odehye Kwasi Akuffo, Lawyer Ansa-Asare berated the statement by the President and described it as “unwarranted and unpresidential” hence must apologize to the Okuapehemaa.
“As a lawyer, the President’s attention must be drawn to the fact that finality of the legal dispute rests with the judiciary, not the executive. that I consider being an inappropriate remark for which the President must apologize. He subscribed to the oath to defend the Constitution. What he has done is just bringing the Constitution and judiciary under siege. He owes q duty to apologize to fellow Ghanaians”. Ansa-Asare said.
He said the statement will worsen Okuapeman’s chieftaincy dispute and fuel rancor.
According to the lawyer, his clients may be compelled to petition appropriate bodies if the President fails to retract his statement within 14 days.
“I will take the matter up to the council of state, the Judicial Council, and then the national house of chiefs because these are the three Institutions that have directly come under siege as a result of the President’s unwarranted remarks. The remarks were unprecedented and unpresidential”.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
