The Supreme Court of Ghana in a 5:0 majority decision has affirmed the legitimacy of Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III as Paramount Chief of the Akwamu traditional area.
The judgement delivered on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, by the apex court unanimously dismissed the application filed by the Yaa Ansaa family in 2020 seeking to restrain Akwamuhene as the occupant of the stool and nullify his enstoolment.
Reacting to the judgement, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III said “dear Akwamus, Compatriots, Elders and friends of Akwamu. We have won a resounding victory today! Congratulation’s to us all!
Throughout this episode, I have never departed from the conviction that the battle belonged to God, and today, He has proved that it is He alone who has the final say. The doors He opens, no one dares close, those He closes, no one can open and indeed he whom He anoints, no one can depose. Therefore, as I unashamedly prostrate before him in gratitude, I invite you to join me in rendering thanks from the very depths of my soul. I dedicate today to God’s glory”.
Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III continued that “I render thanks too to my ancestors for standing firm in their choice and in their supplications on our behalf. Today’s victory will be remembered for the many challenges that we have had to overcome; but having overcome them, it is time to leave them firmly in the past and look towards the future with determination. No longer must we tolerate interference in our development by petty disagreements and questionable motives. Your community deserves the best, your families deserve the best, your children deserve the best but the best can only be achieved by the choices we make from this day onwards”
The Paramount Chief of Akwamu who is now qualified to be gazetted as Paramount Chief said he will explore the abundant natural resources in Akwamufie for development.
“If you pause for a moment to look around, you will truly appreciate just how blessed in resources we are. Those resources, if used well can bring us the prosperity we desire. Let us, therefore, channel our energies into getting organised. This is a call for men, women, young people and even children to organise ideas, skills, experiences and activities with the understanding that the Akwamu we wish to enjoy and which we wish our children to inherit, is possible and can be realised by us. We must allow no one to convince us that the task of unity for development we have set ourselves is impossible to achieve. This is a new day – we must rise with renewed energy and get to work.
History
The Yaa Ansah and the Yaa Botwe gates of Akwamu were embroiled in a chieftaincy dispute following the demise of the Akwamuhene, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto II, in 1992.
The two factions have been battling each other in the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and the law courts since the demise of the Akwamu Omanhene, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto II( from the Yaa Botwe family), in 1992, having ruled for 55 years from his installation in 1936, served as the chairman of the Presidential Commission of Ghana in 1955. The chief had occupied the stool on the ticket of the Botwe family.
But 30 years after his death, the two families have been litigating over who qualifies to occupy the vacant stool.
The Yaa Ansaa family attempted to enstool an Omanhene in the person of Nana Kyeremateng Afranie III however, he was restrained by the queen mother, Nana Afrakoma, through a court injunction restraining him from operating as a chief.
Nana Afranie, who hailed from the Yaa Ansah Gate however ruled under litigation for 18 years, until he passed on in 2009.
After his death, there was the need to install a new chief and Nana Afrakuma, the Queen-mother nominated Kwabena Owiredu now Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III from Yaa Botwe gate but was contested by the Yaa Ansah Royal Family on the grounds that the late chief was not gazetted as he was taken to court by the queen for not being a royal.
On that basis, the members of the Yaa Ansah Family were of the view that it was still their turn to nominate their candidate to ascend the paramount stool of Akwamufie since Nana Afranie was not gazetted.
The move was kicked against by Nana Afrakuma and the kingmakers who were reported to have installed the late paramount chief.
The protracted case was put before the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs in 2013 but the Kukuomhene approached the house to have the matter settled amicably out of court.
During the arbitration of the case in 2013, the arbitrators realised that since the late chief ruled for 18 years and resided at the palace and attended social events as paramount chief, he was a chief of the area hence the stool be rotated to Yaa Botwe Family.
The arbitration process did not go down well with the Yaa Ansaa family who took the matter up to the Eastern Regional House of chiefs again.
After a thorough screening of all facts and evidence provided, the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, affirmed the legitimacy of Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, which definitely didn’t go down well with the Yaa Ansah Family, as such proceeded National House of Chiefs and to the Supreme Court, since March 2020.
But the Supreme court in a judgement delivered dismissed the case against Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
