Okuapehene has assumed his position as President of the Akuapem Traditional Council having been gazetted by the National House of Chiefs on October 5, 2022.
Aburihene who doubles as Adontenhene of Okuapeman Otoobour Djan Kwesi has for the past seven years acted as President of the traditional council after the death of Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwah and subsequent chieftaincy dispute that entangled the enstoolment of Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III.
Speaking at a traditional ceremony held Wednesday, October 18, 2022, to hand over power and authority as President of the council to the Okuapehene, the Chief of Aburi assured that, necessary interventions will be made to reconcile the Queen-mother of Okuapeman Nana Obuo Nketiaa II to help foster peace and Unity.
He is hopeful that by the end of this year, there will be absolute unity in Okuapeman.
Okuapehene and President of the Akuapem Traditional Council, Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo (iii) pledged to unite the traditional area to facilitate development.
The Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong said unity and peace are needed to enhance the tourism potential of Okuapeman.
He, therefore, called on all stakeholders to come on board to facilitate efforts towards reconciliation and peacebuilding.
Okuapehene Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III and Akwamuhene Odeneho Kwafo Akoto will be sworn-in to the Eastern Regional House of chiefs on Thursday.
Background
Three Royal Houses namely: Nketia House, Ama Ogyaa House, and Sakyiabea House ascend the Ofori Kuma stool and that has been codified under the declaration of the customary law (Akuapem State) order, 1960, L.I. 32. The L.I. further provides that these three houses ascend on a rotational basis and when it is a house’s turn, it is that house that nominates.
Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III passed away in 2015 after reigning for 35 years which is the longest reigning period since the formation of the Akuapem State.
Lilly Agyemang Abrewatia of Sakyiabea royal house whose turn is to nominate a candidate settled on Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi ( the current Okuapehene) and presented him to the Asonahene to be given to the Queen-mother to present to the Kingmakers.
Surprisingly, the Queen-mother Nana Obuo Nketiaa II added another name Odehye Kwasi Akuffo who is the nephew of Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi creating confusion which stalled the process even though eight(8) out of the eleven(11) Kingmakers backed Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi.
The two candidates were all separately enstooled by the two factions deepening dispute on the enstoolment process.
This compelled the Abrewatia Lilly Agyemang to initiate a suit at the judicial committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs in 2019 to set the record straight that pursuant to L.I. 32 and the customs of Okuapeman, it is not the preserve of the Queen-mother to solely nominate the Okuapehene which the Judicial committee upheld and entered a judgement in her favour on April 30, 2020, and restrained Odehye Kwasi Akuffo from carrying himself as the chief of Okuapeman.
On May 1, 2020, Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi was presented to the Kingmakers and all due processes were followed for his enstoolment as Okuapehene as the consequential orders of the judicial committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs directed.
On May 3, 2020, Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi was sworn in with the stool name His Royal Majesty Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III to become the 26th occupant of the Ofori Kuma stool.
All five divisional chiefs also swore an oath of allegiance to the Okuapehene same day.
However, dissatisfied with the judgment of the Eastern regional house of chiefs and subsequent events thereafter, Queen-mother Nana Obuo Nketiaa II and three others, appealed against the judgment at the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs at the National House of Chiefs.
However, on 29th September 2022, when the judicial committee of the National House of Chiefs sat, it Ominously dismissed the appeal filed by the Queen-mother and her 3 other associates and affirmed the judgement of the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.
The judicial committee mulcted the appellants with Ghc50,000.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
