Ahanta Traditional Council in disarray over appointment of Labianca owner as Acting Prez

A decision by some selected divisional chiefs from the Ahanta Traditional Council (ATC) to  enstool Madam Eunice Jacqueline BuahAsomah-Hinneh, owner of Labianca Company Limited and a Council of State member as Divisional chief and subsequently nominated to serve as  President of the Council has sparked confusion.

Information available to this reporter indicate that at an emergency meeting held by the Council on Tuesday,  January 31,  2023 the woman, whose title as a chief of Princess Town is a subject of controversy, was appointed  as President of the Council with the help of some chiefs, despite strong opposition from some of the chiefs present.

It all started when a bailiff, now turned Registrar of the House, Justice Arhin Mensah, called an emergency meeting on the orders of the chiefs to meet on the said date. The agenda of the meeting was unknown.

Nana Acheamfo II, divisional chief of Sankor, confirmed to this reporter that at the meeting,the LABIANKA owner was introduced by the Registrar as chief of Princess Town and that she was coming to swear to them.

According to Nana Sankor, he asked some of the chiefs present if they knew the woman in question as chief and when she was installed, since he did not know her as chief.

To Nana Sankor, the question was directed to Nana Egyambra, since he has oversight control over Princess Town.

According to him, Nana Egyambra responded in the opposite that she did not know the woman as a chief of Princess Town.

Nana Sankor said, he turned to chief of Kwesimintsim and Aboade whether or not they knew the woman as chief of the aforementioned divisional area and they responded in the affirmative.

He said the positive response by the two confirming the woman as chief made him to suspect foul play.

Nana continued that the woman was consequently introduced to the chiefs as chief of Princess Town and consequently swore her oath to them.

He continued that after the woman had sworn the oath, the practice has been that she would be asked to excuse herself from the meeting.

However, that did not happen as some of his colleagues rather asked her to take part in the meeting.

According to Nana Sankor, he and others opposed the woman sitting in the meeting because it was against custom and tradition.

But because some of his colleagues knew exactly what they had planned to do, they allowed the woman to sit in, only to appoint her as President of the Council, which shocked him.

According to Nana Sankor, the practice has been that when Omanhene, who is the automatic president of the Council joins his ancestors, it is either the Gyasehene or the Adontihene who acts as acting president.

In this case, he explained it was either the Divisional chief of Agona or Himakrom who should be made to act as president.However, the laid down traditional customary process was abused.

Nana Sankor continued that he was not the only one who opposed the decision to make LABIANKA owner acting president of the Council.

He added that, the Queen mother of Egyambra also opposed it, to the extent that it turned into verbal exchange of words between her and the LABIANKAowner,compelling the latter to leave the meeting.

Another chief who was at the meeting and confirmed the story but did not want to be named told this reporter that some of the chiefs who attended the meeting did not agree that the LABIANKA owner be appointed as the acting president of the Council.

However, since majority had already planned ‘the coup’ and made up their minds to appoint the woman, there was nothing others who opposed her ascension as president could do.

The chief also conceded that until the LABIANKA owner’s introduction to the Council meeting as Divisional chief of Princess Town, he did not know Princess Town had a chief in the person of Eunice Jacqueline BuahAsomah-Hinneh

According to the chief, the Registrar introduced her as chief of Princess Town who had sworn to OtumfuoBaidoeBonsoe before his demise and same gazetted.

The chief of Egyambra, Nana Kofi Armoh, who is also the Senior Gyasehene told The Chronicle that until the woman was introduced to the meeting, he did not know her as chief of Princess Town.

This is because, there was dispute over the Princess Town stool and the case was pending before the Council, but could not confirm whether or not the dispute has been settled and the woman has been installed as chief.

Nana Egyambra confirmed that the decision to appoint Eunice Buahas president was not part of the agenda of the meeting and that he was surprised when her name came up, but he was later told that Eunice Buah is the chief of Princess Town.

He also conceded that his queen mother did not agree to the position and this led to trading of words between her (Queen Mother) and the LABIANCA owner.

But according to Nana Agyambra, later things were explained to his Queen mother and she agreed to the LABIANCA owner’s appointment.

The Registrar of the Council, Justice Arhin Mensah, in a telephone interview with The Chronicle confirmed the council meeting and the decision to make the LABIANCA owner president of the Council.

However, he failed to confirm when the business woman was installed chief of Princess Town.

The Divisional chief of Apremdo, Nana EgyaKwamina on is part told this reporter that, though he is the divisional chief, he was not invited to the meeting with the excuse that a writ has been issued against him at the House.

However, he argued that Nana Bozza, divisional chief of Akatakyi has a writ issued against him at the House, yet found his way to the meeting to him, the appointment of the lady to serve as the Acting President of the Council was not proper.

He explained that, the only person who could by custom act as president in absence of substantive Omanheneis either the Tufuhene or the Himakrom chief. Apart from these two, he explained no one could act as president unless the stools of the aforementioned chiefs were vacant.

Nana EgyaKwamina further added that the LABIANCA owner was not even a divisional chief for her to have been at the meeting and nominated as the Acting President of the Council.

To him, LABIANCA is the chief of Nkwantanan, a village near Princess Town and not divisional chief of Princess Town.

Nana Etsin Kofi, Divisional chief of Aboade, who addressed a press conference to announce the endorsement of LABIANCA owner, when her tax issue came up, also confirmed to this reporter the decision by the Traditional Council to appoint Eunice Buahas president of the Council.

He explained that the woman had already swornthe oath of allegiance tothe late OtumfuoBaidoeBonsoe as chief of Princess Town and had also been gazetted.

He contended that the swearing of oath by Eunice Buah to her colleague members was proper and that there was nothing the Council could do to reverse the decision.

When The Chronicle contacted Madam Eunice Buah (Labianca owner) for her side of the story, he confirmed that she had been nominated as president of the Ahanta Traditional Council but it is up to her to either accept or reject the post.

This is what transpired in our telephone conversation with her;

Question: You have been nominated as president ofAhanta Traditional Council on the day you were introduced to the chiefs as chief of Princess town

Ans:I have been nominated as Acting president and it is up to me to accept or not.

Question: Please can you confirm you are the chief of Princess town

Ans: I don’t want to go into that. There are one or two issues.

Question: But you have a gazette in your name as chief of Princess town

Ans: Please I said I don’t want to go into that (the line then dropped)