There is no paramount Chief of the Okuapem Traditional Area in the Eastern Region ever since the death of Osadeayor Nana Addo Dankwa III, the Okuapemhene about five years ago, the National House of Chiefs (NHC) has ruled.
The NHC in its judgment last Thursday in Kumasi, therefore, upheld the earlier judgment by the Judicial Committee of the Easter Regional House of Chiefs (ERHC) in a restraining order directed at the ERHC, and the NHC from processing an application purporting to gazette Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi as the Okuapemhene.
The Judicial committee of the ERHC had also issued similar restraining orders to Odehye Kwasi Akuffo with the stool name Nana Obuobi Atiemo II, on April 30, 2020 after it annulled his nomination, election and enstoolment as the Okuapemhene.
These came to light Tuesday at Akropong at a news conference addressed by Mr Kwaku Ansa-Asare, counsel for Nana Afua Nketia Obuo II and Nana Kwasi Omenako II, the Asonahene of Akuapem and their supporters in the chieftaincy feud which had travelled from the Regional, House of Chiefs , the Koforidua High court and the NHC.
He was briefing them about the outcome of the suit which judgment most people had misconstrued to mean that the NHC had upheld the legitimacy of Odehye Kwasi Akuffo as the Okuapehene.
The press conference was attended by Nana Afua Nketia Obuo II, Queen mother of Akuapem, the Twafohene of Akuapem Okromansa Amoah Amoah II, elders and elders of the Okoman Council.
Mr Ansa-Asare explained that from the current judgment of the National House of Chiefs, there was no Paramount Chief in the Akuapem Traditional Area with the House upholding the earlier ruling of the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of chiefs.
The judgement was that the Queen mother, Nana Afua Nketia Obuo II who is the Queen mother of the Akuapem Traditional Area and also the key person with the customary constitutional responsibility to nominate a candidate to mount the Ofori Kuma stool as Okuapemhene to conduct the entire process of selection, nomination and election afresh, in consultation with the Asonahene of Akuapem, Nana Kwesi Omenako II.
Mr Ansa-Asare blamed a section of the media who had misinformed the people of Akuapem that the Judicial Committee of the National House had upheld that indeed Odehye Kwasi Akuffo was declared the substantive Pokuampene which led to wild jubilation of the people.
Meanwhile, Mr Ansa-Asare has called on the National House of Chiefs not to gazette Odehye Kwadwo Kesie Antwi, as he had been reliably informed that all was set to gazette him into the National House of Chiefs register as the Okuapemhene.
He said President Akufo-Addo should ensure that the rule of law must work having been made aware of the chieftaincy dispute in the traditional area where he was aware of the judgement that Odehye Kwadwo Kesse Antwi should not carry himself as the Okuapemhene pending the final determination of the law suit challenging his legitimacy.
FROM NORMAN COOPER, AKROPONG AKUAPEM
