Claims and counter claims by the Denkyirahene, Odeefuo Boa Amponsem IV and the Dunkwahene, Okofrobuor Obeng Nuako III regarding who is the supreme ruler over the respective domain have gathered momentum.
It follows attempts by the Dunkwahene, Okofrobuor Obeng Nuako III for paramount status.
While the Dunkwahene claims Dunkwa is autonomous and not part of Denkyira State and that the Dunkwa must be redesignated to Paramount status, Odeefuo Boa Amponsem has deflated this claim insisting that Dunkwa cannot go its separate ways because the Dunkwahene is a Divisional chief under Denkyira jurisdiction.
The Dunkwahene has since April 10, 2026 petitioned the Central Regional House of chiefs to consider upgrading Dunkwa State as a paramountcy. He hoped the Technical Committee of the august House would consolidate the enormous work done so far, in respect of the redesignation of Dunkwa-on-offin stool to a Paramount status.
In correcting what he called “factual inaccuracies due to the material inconsistencies”, the Dunkwahene reiterated that “Dunkwa-on-offin” is an independent town within the Denkyira enclave and that the great festival known as the “Maase Akwantuo” by the people of Dunkwa explains why Chiefs in Dunkwa-on-offin do not swear allegiance to any Chief.
He also explained that Odeefuo Boa Amponsem does not have the allodial title to Dunkwa-on-offin lands. The allodial title is held by Dunkwahene, Okofrobour Obeng Nuako III.
He said in 1943, the then Denkyirahene, Nana Owusu Bori came to plead for land from Dunkwahene, Nana Kwaku Fori, to build a place for easy coordination of his sub chiefs around Dunkwa-on-offin, which explains the main reason why the Denkyira Traditional Council is situated at Dunkwa-on-offin.
He explained further that Denkyirahene’s traditional home is Jukwa, but because it is not a commercial hub, and also not as big as Dunkwa-on-offin, he prefers staying at Dunkwa.
Referring to the judgment of the High Court, Cape Coast and the Court of Appeal decision in Nana Obeng Nuako III vrs Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III & 3 others, the petitioner pointed out that Denkyirahene is not one of the king makers of the Dunkwa-on-offin stool.
With regards to the issue of boundaries for Dunkwa-on-offin stool, Okofrobour Obeng Nuako referred to the judgment by the Supreme Court of the Gold Coast in 1916, between Kudjoe Appiah of Ayanfuri and Kofi Ashia, the Chief of Dunkwa-on-offin in which the Dunkwa-on-offin boundaries were described as: “All that piece or parcel of land situate and being at Dunkwa and bounded by the Fumado stream, the village Agyinpaboa, the Osundanpim stream and finally the Offin river”.
On the Traditional hierarchy (The Benkum Division), it was explained that Dunkwa-on-offin joined the Denkyira Traditional Council only for protection. “In the olden days, attacks on towns were rampant, it was logical that independent towns associated with other towns for their survival and security”.
Okofrobour Obeng Nuako stated that Dunkwa-on-offin has now exited the Denkyira Traditional Council and is operating its own administration to ensure the development of the town.
The petitioner explained that Dunkwa-on-offin is listed as being in the Denkyira enclave, but independent of the Denkyira Traditional Council from which it pulled out and stated that all the sub chiefs in Dunkwa-on-offin are installed by Dunkwahene, as the allodial title owner.
The Dunkwahene claimed he presides over 27 traditional chiefs and care taker chiefs within the Dunkwa-on-offin boundaries for which Dunkwahene is registered under the Odikro/Divisional chiefs under the National Register of Chiefs.
He also explained that the bid for re-designation to Paramount status is grounded on the 1992 Republican Constitution and the Chieftaincy Act, 2008, Act 759 and wondered why the Denkyirahene is opposed to Dunkwahene’s quest for Paramountcy status.
The Dunkwahene cited the case of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, which recommended 12 chiefs for re-designation to Paramount status in 2010, but 5 were approved by the National House of Chiefs. He also mentioned that in 2014, the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs elevated 15 traditional chiefs to Paramount Status.
It is on record that the Kumasi Traditional Council presided by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has elevated a number of stools to Paramount status since his enstoolment without the danger of any bad precedent being set.
He emphasized that Dunkwa-on-offin, will never in its lifetime come under the Denkyira Traditional Council stating that allegiance cannot be compelled, a fact captured succinctly by the eminent Jurist S.A Brobbey in his book on the “Law of Chieftaincy in Ghana”. “When times change, civilisation dawns and colonised (including oppressed) people sit up to assert themselves. Change becomes unavoidable, like agitations in the Gold Coast that led to Ghana’s independence.
The reality is that allegiance cannot be compelled. When it is imposed, it can only be temporary. When people decide not to owe allegiance to some authority, the solution lies in listening to reason and accepting change as inevitable, failing which social strife, civil upheaval and or mass disobedience will predominate,” he quoted from the book.
Okofrobour Obeng Nuako also allayed the fear of the Denkyirahene that there will be no danger of any precedent being set by the Paramount status. Dunkwa-on-offin has been a commercial hub, as well as a district capital right from the colonial days and it will be re-designated to a Paramount status in tune with the exigencies of the time.
The Dunkwahene has since served his petition on the President, the Vice President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs as well as the Registrar of the Denkyira Traditional Council (Dunkwa-on-Offin).
But the Denkyirahene on June 30, 2026 during a Dunkwa Traditional Council meeting at the Amponsem Ahenfie located at Abankesieso (New Dunkwa), a suburb of Dunkwa, debunked the claims and position of the Okofrobuor Obeng Nuako III.
Odeefuo Boa Amponsem IV, addressing Dunkwahene’s Paramountcy bid maintained that no institution has the authority to grant paramountcy to the Dunkwahene while he remains under the Denkyira Traditional Council.
He insisted that as long as Dunkwa remains under the jurisdiction of the Denkyira Kingdom, the Dunkwahene cannot be elevated to the status of a Paramount Chief within the traditional area.
On land ownership, the Denkyirahene responded to reports that an investor had allegedly purchased land at the Compound, a suburb of Dunkwa and had directed about 32 households occupying the land to vacate by June 30, 2026.
The Denkyirahene reaffirmed that, by custom and tradition, all lands within the Denkyira Kingdom are held in trust by the Paramount Stool, and pledged not to allow any individual or investor to unlawfully displace residents from their homes.
He reiterated his commitment to preserving peace, unity, justice and orderly development throughout the Denkyira State, while urging all traditional leaders to respect the authority of the Paramount Stool and resolve disputes through customary mechanisms rather than prolonged litigation.
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