Asantehene destools Brong Ahafo chief

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has destooled the Omanhene of Akrodie in the Brong Ahafo Region, Daasebre Yiadom Boakye Asiamah, after a bitter 18-year chieftaincy dispute that kept the Omanhene, who is also a minister of the Gospel, out of the area for all that period.

This followed a petition filed at the Manhyia Palace by kingmakers of the traditional area who levelled more than 40 destoolment charges against the Omanhene, also known as Bishop Paul Boakye Asiamah, the Founder and Leader of the Abednago Incarnation Church at Pankrono in Kumasi.

At a meeting of the Kumasi Traditional Council at the Manhyia Palace, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who has traditional authority over the Akrodie area, took a serious view of the dispute.

That was especially so as the chief was unable to visit the area, thereby stalling development.

Nana Asiamah was installed Omanhene in 1994, and just a year later, violence broke out at Akrodie as the people attempted to destool him.

The dispute led to the killing of one person and the destruction of about 20 estate houses which were at various levels of completion which Daasebre Asiamah was constructing at Akrodie.

The petitioners appealed to the Asantehene to personally sit on the matter to ensure that justice and peace prevailed at Akrodie.

Earlier, two judicial committees, one each of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and the Asanteman Council, had sat on the case and given verdicts in favour of the Omanhene.

According to the petitioners, all the charges levelled against the Omanhene were true and could not in any way be challenged.

At the meeting at Manhyia, Otumfuo Osei Tutu asked the kingmakers to perform the necessary rituals on the destoolment and also select a qualified person as the next Omanhene who would swear the oath of allegiance before him at Manhyia.

Meanwhile, the kingmakers have welcomed Otumfuo’s ruling, saying it is testimony of the Asantehene’s quest to see peace in his area of authority.

Source: Daily Graphic