By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, Nov 10, GNA – The Asafoatse Christopher Brandford (C.B) Nettey Family of Swalaba Quarters of Sonmenaa has vowed to use every legal and traditional means to protect their legacy to the Asafoatse title in Gbese.
“Our dedication to preserving the legacy of Asafoatse C.B. Nettey remains unwavering.
“We affirm our respect for the traditions, laws and peaceful values that have shaped Gbese,” Mr. Herbert Akai Nettey, Secretary, C.B. Nettey Family– Swalaba Quarter of Sonmenaa, said at a news conference over the weekend in Accra.
The conference was to address concerns raised by the Nii Doku We Family regarding the legacy of the Asafoatse title in Gbese.
The two families have been at loggerheads as to who has the legacy of the Asafoatse title in Gbese.
The position became vacant following the death of Asafoatse Christopher Akai Nettey IV in 2012.
Addressing the media, Mr. Akai Nettey said that the Nettey Family remained the rightful owners of the Asafoatse title.
He explained that the ancestral legacy to the said title and its accompanying title obligations was “not merely symbolic but deeply rooted in the historical, cultural and communal responsibilities that we have honoured for generations.”
Since the 1850s, he said, the lineage of Gbese Asafoatsemei had remained in the Swalaba Quarter.
Asafoatse Nii Tetteh Nettey who died in 1859; Asafoatse C.B Nettey I, who reigned from 1860-1944; Asafoatse C.B Nettey Junior (1944-1966); Asafoatse Nathan Nerte Nettey (1969-1990) and Asafoatse Christopher Akai Nettey who reigned between 1990-2012, were lineage from the Swalaba Quarter.
Mr. Nettey rejected claims by the Nii Doku We Family that enough evidence existed that supported their (Nii Doku We Family) Asafoatse legacy, describing such assertions as “misleading.”
He added that no such evidence had, so far, been presented to the Gbese Council for verification.
Mr. Nettey also explained that arguments suggesting that no vacancy existed for the Asafoatse title were “inaccurate.”
He said: “Our traditions mandate that the position must be filled from the appropriate gate, which has not been contested.”
Mr. Nettey said that the installation of an Asafoatse was a “sacred, intricate process” that required integrity and respect.
“We initiated this process in July 2024, ensuring that all necessary rites, including the swearing of allegiance to the Gbese Mantse, were performed with precision,” Mr. Nettey who is also the Family’s Spokesperson explained.
Mr. Nettey accused the Family Head of the Nii Doku We Family of Sonmenaa, Nii Doku III, of undermining the legacy of the C.B. Nettey Family and obstructing the inauguration of the head of the current Nettey family.
“These acts disregard not only traditional protocols but also have financial and symbolic implications that erode respect for established rites,” he said.
He said the Family would do everything legitimate to protect what was rightfully theirs.
GNA