The Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Serebour II, presiding over a meeting of the Juaben Traditional Council at the Juaben Palace on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 dealt a humiliating blow to the Asona Royal family of Konongo in the Asante Akim Central Municipality.
The Juabenhene has dissolved the Council of stool elders of the Konongo Sub-Traditional Council and relieved them of their traditional positions, rendering the Konongo Palace virtually closed.
The affected members, who have served in various capacities at the palace for years, are not to carry themselves or parade in the jurisdiction as stool elders.
The destooled elders 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).
Their crime is that they had sworn allegiance to the late Konongohene, Nana Batafo Acheampong Nti, who has been accused of gross insubordination towards the Juabenhene in the past 30 years and, therefore, not recognised as a chief by the overlord. As a result, the elders were fined two sheep and four bottles of Schnapps.
Nana Otuo Serebour is on record to have said that in the circumstance, he does not recognise the Council of Elders, since they had not been introduced to him.
Following, the Abusuapanin Nana Yaw Frimpong, in consultation with an elder of the family, one Oppong Agyare, have been charged to act as caretakers and liaise with the family of the late Konongohene to organise his funeral as an ordinary person and not as a chief or royal, since he did not serve his overlord in his lifetime as Konongohene.
The funeral planning committee is to plan the funeral within two months, from June 1 to July 31, 2022 after which a suitable candidate is to be considered as chief of Konongo would be introduced to the Juabenhene.
The condition is that the late Konongohene should not be accorded a royal burial as, according to the Juabenhene he (Konongohene) had not acted or functioned in the capacity as a chief for the past 30 years.
The Juabenhene gave the directives when the Konongo Council of Elders, led by the Bekwaimanhene, Nana Osei Kwadwo II, called on the Juabenheneto first call for a truce of the 30-year-impasse between the Konongohene and his overlord and to announce his death.
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.
The Konongo stool elders had approached the Bekwaihene to plead on their behalf with the Juabenhene as a result of which the May 31, 2022 meeting at Juaben was organised only for the elders to be, as it is, destooled and directives given in respect of funeral of the late Konongohene.
Nana Osei Kwadwo has confirmed the sanctions against the Konongo elders who, he said, admitted their guilt of disrespect to the Juabenhene, having thus contributed to the impasse.
The Registrar of the Juaben Traditional Council, Mr Ankamah also collaborated the decision and directives of the Juabenhene.
Defending the position of the Juabenhene, Mr. Ankamah said he had been the registrar of the Juaben Traditional Council the past seven years and never set eyes on any of the Konongo stool elders.
Meanwhile, the youth of Konongo, constituting themselves as Concernedcitizens of Konongo have condemned the decision of the Juabenhene describing it as arbitrary and harsh for preferring sanctions against the Konongohene even in death to perpetuate the alleged 30- year-oldimpasse.
The youth leader, Addai Mununkum, appealed to the Juabenhene to rethink his decision and approach the death of the late chief in a humane manner.
They called on the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to intervene and settle the impasse to enable the late Konongohene be accorded a fitting burial for serving his people for 41 years
