The directive of Nana Otuo Siriboe II, the Juabenhene to the Asona Royal family of Konongo, in the Asante Akim Central Municipality, not to accord the late chief royal courtesies and protocols has been disapproved by a group calling itself ‘Concerned Citizens of Konongo’.
The Juabenhene, who doubles as the chairman of the Council of State, on Tuesday May 31, 2022, dissolved the Council of stool elders of the Konongo sub-Traditional Council and relieved them of their traditional positions.
The elders purported to have been destooled are’ Kyeame Yaw Frimpong, Kyeame Poku, Kyeame Kwame Marfo, Nana Kwadwo Abrokwa (Krontihene),Nana Osei Tweneboah (Gyasehene), Nana Opuni Frimpong (Twafohene), Nana Appiah Fokyie (Sanaahene) and Nana Kwadwo Sarfo (Nsumankwahene).
The rest are; Nana Kwadwo Yeboah (Benkumhene), Nana Kwame Akowuah (Mmamahene), Nana Kofi Prah (acting Kyidomhene) and Nana Akua Pokuaa (Asona Maahema).
These elders are been faulted for swearing the oath of allegiance to the late Konongohene, Nana Batafo Acheampong Nti, who has been accused of gross insubordination towards the Juabenhene and thus considered to have been destooled and, therefore, not recognised as a chief by the overlord.
As a result, the Juabenhene has ordered the Abusuapanin, Nana Yaw Frimpong, to liaise with one Oppong Agyare, an elder of the family, to organise the late Konongohene’s funeral as an ordinary person and should not accord him with royal courtesies and protocols, because he (late chief) did not serve his overlord in his lifetime as Konongohene.
The funeral planning committee is also enjoined to plan the funeral within two months from June 1 to July 31, 2022 after which a suitable candidate to be considered as chief of Konongo would be introduced to the Juabenhene.
Nana Batafo died on January 15, 2022 at the age of 83, having occupied the Konongo Asona stool for 41 years. He first swore the oath of allegiance as Konongohene to Nana Otuo Serebour II in 1981.
But the Concerned Citizens of Konongo, in a statement signed by its leader, Nana Addai Mununkum, has condemned the May 31, 2022 directive and action by the Juabenhene, describing it as not only capricious, but also arbitrary and has no legal or customary basis.
The youth said the impression being created by the Juabenhene that he destooled the late Konongohene 30 years ago, is not only false, but an attempt to distort Konongo Traditional history.
“There is no doubt that from 1907 to 1954, and again in 2009, there has been over six cases in court initiated by successive chiefs of Juaben, from Nana Kofi Boaten to Nana Otuo Siriboe II against the Konongo stool, but in all those cases the Juaben stool lost”, the youth group revealed.
They explained that by customary law, usage and under the Chieftaincy Act, the Konongohene was gazetted as the chief of Konongo who reigned from May 1981 to January 2022 and that he was never destooled, neither did he abdicate.
Nana Addai Mununkum claimed the group has many leases that the Juabenhene counter signed after the Konongohene had signed and took his fees as overlord, because there was a ruling by the High Court that the Juabenhene cannot sell or lease out Konongo Stool lands himself, but
can only counter sign after the Konongohene had signed.
Nana Mununkum also referred to a Supreme Court suit – “Boampong Vs Aboagye and Others (1981) GLR 927-943, which ruled that Juaben stool cannot destool a Konongo chief and further ruled that it is only the Konongo Kingmakers who can destool a chief at Konongo, which position they claim goes to nullify the May 31, 2022 directive at Juaben in Ashanti, stressing that the Konongo sub-chiefs are still at post and not destooled by operating decisions of the highest court of the land.
“The decision is null and void and any attempt to enforce it will be resisted through all available legal means”, the statement emphasized.
The statement said the event at Juaben on that fateful day was an attempt to reverse trite customary and judicial decisions. It also stated that as late as 2009, the Juabenhene brought a suit in the Judicial Committee of the Ashanti regional House of Chiefs in respect of the Queen mother of Konongo, which case travelled to the National House of Chiefs and ended in August 2018.
The youth group wondered if the Juabenhene had taken the said action against a Konongohene he claims not to be a chief and had destooled. Referring to previous decisions by Asanteman Council and the courts, the group drew the attention of the Juabenhene to the provisions that
a chief or sub-chief cannot be destooled if they have not been found guilty of any wrong doing, which point was emphasised in a case of Ohenenana Akwasi Prempeh Versus Nana Juabenhene, held at the Manhyia palace, under the adjudication of His Royal Majesty Otumfuo
Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, on April 23, 2012.
On the strength of the above contentions, the group has asserted that Nana Batafo Acheampong Nti II died as chief of Konongo and will be laid to rest as a chief with all the royal courtesies and protocols.
The Concerned Citizens Association has, therefore, reiterated its appeal to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to intervene and settle the impasse to enable the Royal Asona family of Konongo to mourn and bury their dead chief in peace, without any let or hindrance.
Well structured story by the journalist.. Juabenhene always in grudges with sub chiefs. He did same in Koforidua and now in Konongo. Aden?
WHAT at all does he want in this world. Christ Almighty dey watch am