Tension is reportedly building up at Akyem Anamaase, a farming community in the Akyem Bosome Traditional Area in the Akyem Achiase District in the Eastern Region over a chieftaincy dispute in the area.
According to pieces of information gathered by The Chronicle, the Kingmakers of Akyem Anamase, including Opanin Kwame Amo and Yaw Amponsah, are shocked over the decision by Abusuapanin Kwabena Aboagye III to unilaterally nominate one Kwadwo Fenteng and installed him as the Odikro of the village.
The purported illegal ceremony took place on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at about 3am on the blind side of the Bosome Traditional Council, all the Security Agencies in the District, as well as residents in the area.
Contrary to custom and traditional practices, the swearing-in of Kwadwo Fenteng was done at 3am, with the candidate wearing a black T-shirt over black and white shorts, whilst being sworn in.
In the quest to avert any mayhem, the Akyem Achiase District Security Council (DISEC) immediately cautioned Abusuapanin Kwabena Aboagye III and his cohorts for violating the Public Order Act 491/1994 and forced them to sign a bond of good behavior and publicly renounce the illegal installation.
On his part, the President of the Akyem Bosome Traditional Council,Okotwaasuo Kantamanto Oworae Agyekum III called an emergency meeting to resolve the issue.
The Chronicle has intercepted a petition dated October 7, 2022 and signed by Kwame Amo
(Abusuabaatan of Akyem Anamase) and Yaw Amponsah to the Judicial Committee of Akyem Bosome Traditional Council, protesting that the household of Abena Ani-Agyaa and part of the Owusuaa are against the appointment of Kwadwo Fenteng as the Odikro of Akyem Anamase
The Abusuabaatan mentioned that “according to our Tradition, the Abusuapanin cannot remain in his position as Abusuapanin and his nephew also become Odikro, whereas we have more than Fifty (50) Adehyie (Royals) who qualify to be the Odikro from both the AbenaAniAgyaa and Owusua households.
The Abusuabaatan of Akyem Anamase indicated that Kwadwo Fenteng is not an indigene from the Owusua household and his matriarchs are not the custodian of the said Aboagye Stool.
He continued that there is nothing like Aboagye stool in the Traditional history of Akyem Anamase and that the only recognised stools in the Oyoko Clan of Akyem Anamase are Fenin Amponsah and Botwe Stools.
That there were no prior consultations with the real AbenaAni-Agyaa and Owusua matriarch, before the appointment of the said Kwadwo Fenteng, as the Chief and subsequent installation.
In an effort to avert any mayhem, the President of the Akyem Bosome Traditional Council,Okotwaasuo Kantamanto Oworae Agyekum III, through the Acting Registrar of the Bosome Traditional Council, Mr.Kwadwo Nkansah Gyekye, has called for an emergency meeting over the matter.
This was contained in a letter dated Friday January 20, 2023 and signed by the Registrar, asking the two parties to appear before the president and the council on Monday January 30, 2023 at about 12 noon.
The Registrar explained that to prevent a total breakdown of law and order and ease tension in the Akyem Anamaase Township, the President of the Akyem Bosome Traditional Council has called an emergency meeting with AD-HOC committee to promote peace and harmony in the community.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the concerns of all the interested parties, with regard to the contest for the Akyem Anamaase Stool and to bring about a final resolution that is rooted in a time-honored customary practices and usages to the issue.
Nana Oworae Agyekum III called Abusuabaatan, Opanin Kwame Amo of Akyem AnamaseOyoko Family and his household to lend “yourselves to this effort so that they can have a speedy and comprehensive resolution of the issues at stake, and to avoid the pitfalls of protracted litigation and move forward to embrace development and progress in Anamase.”
“The pool of the membership of the ‘AD-HOC’ Committee shall be;Osabarima Obeng Asiedu of Akyem Swedru, Nana Dwamena Akenten of Akyem Swedru, Nana Kwaku Abedi of Akyem Swedru, Obrempong Twum Barima of Aperade, Obrempong Dubi Nti of Akyem Ofoase, Obrempong Appianing Kwaframoa of Akyem Adiembra.
Others include Obrempong Amoabeng Oko of Akyem Brenaase and Abusuapanin Okrah of Akyem Amantia. There shall be no less than three persons and no less than five (5) persons who shall form up the ‘Committee’, as long as they are available.”
Nana Oworae Agyekum III also invited the elders of the Aniyegyaa, Owusuaa/Aboagye and Akua Abornaa households to make themselves available and be present for this meeting and the Committee of Anamase elders and Kingmakers led by Mr, J.A. Biney.
The Chronicle, however, learnt that the scheduled meeting could not take place because Opanin Kwame Amo wrote back to the Traditional Council asking for the meeting to be moved to Monday February 13, 2023.
According to him, he received the letter late,on Saturday January 28, 2023 and was it impossible to inform his representatives within the shortest time.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Akyem Achiase, Kofi Amponsah, confirmed the steps taken by DISEC when contacted on his cell phone by this reporter.
He, however, declined to throw more light on the matter since the Assembly had handed over the issue to the traditional council.
On his side, the acting registrar further confirmed the summon letter but indicated that, he would not like to talk much about it.
