The Central Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere, has imposed restrictions on traditional activities in the Denkyira Traditional Area, directing that Akwasidae celebrations be held strictly within the confines of the palace.
REGSEC has also placed an immediate hold on the installation of sub-chiefs and other traditional leaders by either faction in the ongoing dispute over traditional authority in the area.
The directives are contained in a letter dated August 28, 2026 signed by the Regional Minister and addressed to the Denkyirahene, Odeefo Boa Amponsem IV.
“All Akwasidae rituals, gatherings and celebrations must be confined strictly within the walls of your palaces in Dunkwa-On-Offin.
“The proposed installation of any sub-chiefs or traditional leaders by either faction is put on immediate hold,” the letter stated.
It further directed that “no installation processes or ceremonies shall take place until further notice.”
REGSEC warned that failure to comply with the directives would “result in an immediate ban and physical shutdown of all activities by state security.”
The Regional Security Council said the measures had become necessary because of what it described as a “volatile security situation” and a “critical threat to public peace” within the Denkyira Traditional Area.
According to the letter, both sides in the dispute would be invited to a resolution meeting in the coming days, where REGSEC would hear their respective positions and determine the appropriate way forward.
It added that security agencies had been deployed to monitor the palaces of the feuding factions and warned that any breach of the directives would result in “swift arrests and prosecution.”
The directive effectively places a temporary freeze on key aspects of traditional administration and ceremonial activities within the Denkyira Traditional Area, particularly the public celebration of Akwasidae and the installation of new traditional leaders.
Significance of Akwasidae
The restriction on Akwasidae is particularly significant given the deep spiritual and cultural importance of the ceremony within Akan traditional society.
Akwasidae is a revered traditional observance among Akan communities, including the Asante and Denkyira, and provides an occasion for the performance of rituals to honour ancestors, renew ties between the living and the departed, and attend to sacred traditional symbols, including Black Stools.
Persons familiar with the dispute say the decision to restrict the public celebration could generate further tensions, given the cultural and spiritual significance attached to the ceremony.
The latest directive comes against the backdrop of a continuing contest over traditional authority in the Denkyira Traditional Area, with competing factions asserting claims over aspects of the traditional institution.
The intervention by REGSEC signals a significant escalation in the state’s efforts to prevent the dispute from developing into a wider security threat.
While the Regional Security Council has justified the measures on public safety and the need to prevent further clashes, the restrictions on traditional ceremonies and the suspension of chieftaincy installations are likely to attract close attention because of the constitutional protections surrounding chieftaincy institutions.
Article 270 of the 1992 Constitution guarantees the institution of chieftaincy and traditional councils, while the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759), provides the legal framework governing chieftaincy matters, including the determination of claims and disputes through the recognised traditional and judicial structures.
The immediate focus of REGSEC, however, appears to be the preservation of public order while the competing sides are brought together for dialogue.
By Stephen Larbi
