The Divisional Chief of Agona Ahanta, Nana Eziaku IV, last Friday held his first meeting since he was confirmed as Acting President of the Ahanta Traditional Council (ATC) following the demise of Otumfour Baidoo Bonsoe XV.
The meeting saw divisional chiefs in attendance, except three, Nana Bozza IX, Nana Etsin Kofi III and Nana Ngodzi Essoun. The kingmakers, Odikros and families of the Otumfour Baidoo Bonsoe, Queenmothers, Kingmakers and Asafos were all in attendance.
Divisional chiefs such Nana Nzafram, Nana Egya Kwamina XI, Nana Kofi Armoo, Nana Nda Akyeamfour, Senior Gyasehene amongst others were also present.
But in a telephone interview, Nana Bozza IX, Divisional Chief of Akatakyi, confirmed he was not at the meeting, though he was aware of it. His reason was that, the Acting President did not have the authority and power to call a General Meeting of all Ahanta chiefs.
The power and authority to call a General Meeting of all chiefs, including divisional chiefs, Odikros, Asafo and royal family members resided in only the Ahantahene and no one else. “So it is wrong for Nana Eziaku to call a meeting of all chiefs in Ahanta and expect some of us to attend,” Nana Bozza told this reporter.
That apart, Nana Bozza argued that Traditional Council meetings were made up of only gazetted chiefs. As a result, “he could not have called a Traditional Council meeting in his acting position and include Odikros and Asafos in addition.”
The agenda for the meeting was on matters affecting Ahantaman, and was the first since Nana Eziaku IV, who is also the Tufuhene, was confirmed as the Acting President of the House.
Nana Eziaku, who chaired the meeting, sat together on the dais with Nana Kofi Armoo III, Divisional Chief of Egyambra, Nana Nzafram III, and Nana Egya Butia, Chief of Butre.
The meeting was fully attended by the chiefs and signified the support and loyalty they accord the Acting President.
Welcoming the chiefs to the meeting, Nana Eziaku IV admonished his colleague chiefs to forget about the past and forge ahead in unity. According to him, it was important for Ahanta chiefs to unite, most particularly, at this period they find themselves, so that others would emulate.
He pointed out, however, that considering the challenges facing Ahanta today, it would take the resilience of the chiefs to surmount them.
He further said that they had to unite and let custom and tradition be their guide and guard.
The meeting was held behind closed doors at the Assembly’s Conference Hall, and during the open forum the chiefs expressed diverse opinions on matters affecting Ahanta, most particularly on Kwabena Antwi, who parades himself as the Ahantahene.
There is also a petition and counter-petition currently before the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs over who had the right to enstool the next Ahantahene.
One of the counter-petitions seeks to injunct one Kwabena Antwi, who is parading himself as the Ahantahene, though a formal announcement of the demise of the Ahantahene has not been made public.
