Eastern Regional House of Chiefs nullifies Odehyee Kwasi Akuffo’s nomination
The Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs has nullified the selection of Odehyee Kwasi Akuffo as the paramount chief of the Akuapem Traditional Area.
According to the committee his selection by the queenmother of the area, Nana Afua Nketiaa Obuo II, was against the laid down tradition where it was the ABREWATIA of the royal Sakyiama Family of Akuapem Akropong who since time immemorial selected those to be the paramount chiefs.
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Delivering the ruling after a petition filed by Madam Lily Agyeman against the queenmother and three others, the three-member committee chaired by the Konor of Manya Krobo, Nene Sackitey, said per tradition it is the ABREWATIA who had to select the nominee and presented same to the traditional process for installation.
The committee's ruling which was read by counsel for the House, Mr Dominic Cecil Hammond and cost of GH¢25,000 awarded against the respondents therefore said the ABREWATIA's role was by custom and tradition which must be respected as such.
The committee also restrained Odehyee Kwasi Akuffo from holding himself as a chief of Akuapem.
The petitioner in her petition averred that even though the ABREWATIA had submitted the name of Odehyee Kwadwo Jesse for onward transmission to the queenmother and the thence to the kingmaker for approval, she "the queenmother mother pretended she had no name".
“Notwithstanding all these among other developments, according to the petitioner, she learnt with shock that the queenmother with the one of the respondents had bypassed the petitioner to select somebody else from the Sekyiaba House for installation as the new Okuapehene" said the petition.
The petitioner said even though the queenmother comes from a house whose turn it was to produce a candidate, she the queenmother could not bypass the ABREWATIA of that house to nominate anybody of her choice.
The petitioner therefore prayed the committee that per custom and tradition of the people of Akuapem as verified by statute, it was the ABREWATIA as opposed to the queenmother of Akuapem who has the sole prerogative to nominate a successor to the stool from the royal house and that the action of the respondents was contrary to the law and therefore illegal, null and void.
Background
Since the death of Oseadeayo Addo Dankwa about five years ago, there has been disagreements in Akuapem Akropong as to who should be the new paramount chief.