By Laudia Sawer
Tema, July 27, GNA – The Paramountcy of the Osudoku Traditional Area has urged all divisional chiefs, sub-chiefs, and traditional leaders in the area to remain calm and exercise restraint while it works on maintaining the sanctity of the chieftaincy institution.
The paramountcy stated that it was undertaking measures to ensure the ultimate responsibility of protecting the sanctity and territorial integrity of the Osudoku Traditional Area.
It called on all Divisional Chiefs and Sub-Chiefs, Asafoatsemei and other revered leaders, who have sworn an oath, to remain loyal to the Paramountcy and play significant customary roles in the Osudoku Traditional Area.
They should also exercise restraint and remain calm as steps are taken to ensure the sanctity of the institution is maintained, the Paramountcy said it in a release signed by Numo Napoleon Tawiah Animle, the head of the Animle Family of Osudoku.
It explained that in February 2024, the Dorsi Animle Family of Osudoku was served with a letter of withdrawal of the head chief position from the Dorsi Animle Family of Osudoku from the Gbese Aboriginal Council of Osudoku (Ablao Nadu Shrine).
The letter purported o narrate a chequered history of the people of Osudoku with varied forms of vituperations against their revered and insurmountable ancestors, indicating that the Dorsi Clan would cease to be the clan from which the Paramount chief is nominated, selected, elected, and installed.
It added that one Nimo Tettey Kwame Ofori and others from Gbese held media intractions to announce the withdrawal of the position of the paramount chief from the Dorsi Animle Family of Osudoku, describing the act as sacrilegious.
“We, the Paramountcy, since the origination of the above-referenced letter, have remained very calm in observance of the revered tradition that commands the respectful mourning of our deceased Paramount Chief of the Osudoku State, Nene Ngmongmowuyaa Kwesi Animle VI.”
The statement stated that Nimo Tettey Ofori was misled and deceived into thinking that he had the authority to withdraw the position of the Paramount Chief from the Dorsi Animle Family of Osudoku, adding that it was factually inaccurate to state that the people of Gbese were the original inhabitants of the Osudoku state.
It added that “Page 1863 of the Gold Coast Gazette Extraordinary, published on 1st December 1955 succinctly established the history and tradition of the Osudoku State.
It states thus, “The Aboriginal inhabitants are said to have descended from the sky at Kasunya (about 6 miles E. of Osudoku). They were joined later by immigrants coming from a distant place east of the River Volta.” It continues: “With these immigrants came with some people under the leadership of the Nadu Priest who became known in their new home as the Gbese section, establishing themselves at the foot of the Ningo (Yongwa) Hill.”
They further said the historical facts were corroborated by the well-researched Jackson Report; therefore, the actions by Nimo Tettey Kwame Ofori and his cohorts constituted a great dent and sacrilege on the image of Osudoku State.
“The ruling authority of the Dorsi Clan was well researched and grounded in history,” it stated, adding that “in the face of all the historical evidence and facts, it is a well-known fact and practice that the Dorsi Clan resides the original and unalloyed authority to select, nominate, and elect a person to occupy the most revered stool in the Osudoku State, the paramount stool.”
It emphasised that Nimo Tettey Kwame Ofori and his people from the Gbese quarters have no authority to nominate, elect, or install a Paramount Chief for the Osudoku Traditional Area.
“We have petitioned the appropriate security institutions and the assurance that they are closely monitoring the situation to avert any further blasphemous act on the part of Nimo Tettey Ofori,” they noted.
GNA