Accra, Dec 25, GNA-The current Okuapehemea Nana Afua Nketiaah Obuo II hails from the Nketiaah Royal Family and was duly installed in 2017 after all customary process had been followed to replace the deceased Okuapehemea Nana Dokua I .
Under the customs and usages of the Akuapem Traditional Area it is the Queen mother(Okuapehemea )who selects and/or nominates the occupant of the Ofori Kuma Stool for enstoolment .
A statement signed by Mr Raymond Bagnabu, lawyer for the family and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said after her installation as Queen mother several issues including legal suits arose as to the installation of a new Paramount chief ,she being Okuapehemea had earlier nominated and caused to be installed a chief but her nomination and enstoolment of that person was held by the Regional House of Chiefs Eastern Region on the 30th April 2020 in Suit No; JC/ERHC/P1/2018 intitule LILY AGYEMANG VRS NANA AFUA OBUO NKETIA II& Ors and on appeal to the National House of Chiefs in Suit No :NHC/1/2/2020 LILY AGYEMANG VRS NANA AFUA OBUO NKETIA II& Ors to be null and void and the stool vacant as due process was not followed under customary law.
“The National House of Chiefs on appeal affirmed the directives/orders of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs that the process be conducted again by the Queenmother .
“That per the judgments of the House of Chiefs , the Queenmother of the Akuapem Traditional Area , is the only person clothed with the customary authority and /or duty to nominate a candidate from the Sakyiaabea Royal Family to mount the vacant Ofori Kuma stool as Okuapehene and so was directed to conduct the entire process of ,nomination afresh. The Petitioners are well aware of these judgments” .
The statementsaid since the orders of the National House of Chiefs , the Okuapehemea had not selected and /or nominated any person for enstoolment as the Okuapehene and as such any person parading himself as the Okuapehene is an imposter in the light of the judgments aforementioned .
The statementsaid under Akropong Customary law in the absence of an occupant of the Ofori Kuma Stool (Okuapehene ), the annual festival of Odwira which commemorates the historic victory of the Akuapems over the Ashanti,s at the Battle of Katamansu in 1826 , all customary and /or traditional rites ,rituals and even the announcement of the dates for the celebration of the Odwira festival are only done under the instructions of the Okuapehemea(Queen mother ) and who instructs the Gyaasefo who are team of sub chiefs customarily assigned to perform all customs in preparation for the celebration of the Odwira Festival .
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba