Royal family wants to know rightful Abusuapanin
The Bonsra Afriyie royal family of the Adansi traditional area in the Ashanti Region has appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to reopen investigations to determine who is the legitimate abusuapanin (head of the royal family) of the area to facilitate the smooth installation of the next Adansihene.
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This was because of the activities of one Opanin Akwasi Akomenteng, who continued to carry himself as abusuapanin in spite of a ruling by the Asantehene, which barred the immediate past Adansi queen mother, Nana Kwantwiwaa Apomaa II and her relations (including Opanin Akomenteng) from getting close to the Adansi stool.
Making the appeal through the Daily Graphic in Kumasi, a spokesman of the royal family, Mr James Kwaku Nkrumah, said the only legitimate abusuapanin in the area known by the royal family is Opanin Kwadwo Fosu, who was enstooled in 1997.
According to him, Nana Apomaa II, before her destoolment in November, 2012, appointed a rival abusuapanin for the Bonsra Afriyie royal family in the person of Opanin Akomenteng, whose acts allegedly stalled the process for the installation of a new chief.
Mr Nkrumah said since the ex-queen mother appointed Opanin Akomenteng as abusuapanin without recourse to custom and tradition, peace in the area had been threatened.
The said creation, according to Mr Nkrumah, was null and void and, therefore, appealed to Otumfuo not to give any backing to it.
The Adansi traditional area has been without an Omanhene since 2005, when the last Omanhene, Nana Ofori Agyemang II, passed on.
Delving into history, the spokesman said the Adansi traditional area had not experienced peace since Opanin Akomenteng was enstooled abusuapanin by the then Adansihene, Nana Ofori Agyemang II, and the Adansihemaa, Nana Apomaa in 2002.
This has been so because the said enstoolment was done at the time the royal family had a legitimate abusuapanin.
The family spokesman said, “Because of the backing of the Adansihene, Opanin Akomenteng, now Nana Yaw Peprah III, took possession of Abusuapanin Kwadwo Fosu’s stool room and stool lands. “
“Regardless of all the bullying, Abusuapanin Kwadwo Fosu still performs his duties as the Abusuapanin by solving family problems and other matters. “
Mr Nkrumah alleged that after the burial of Nana Ofori Agyeman II in 2007, the Adansihemaa and Opanin Akomenteng made an attempt to install a new Adansihene so Abusuapanin Fosu invoked the great oath (Ntamkesie) of Otumfuo on both of them to the effect that the Adansihemaa was not a blood descendant of the Bonsra Afriyie Stool and as such Opanin Akomenteng, who was her blood relation, could not be the Abusuapanin of the royal family.
“Otumfuo investigated on the great oath that Abusuapanin Kwadwo Fosu swore on Adansihemaa and found that indeed she was not a blood descendant of the Bonsra Afriyie Royal Family and Stool.
“Otumfuo did not only destool the Adansihemaa but expelled her, her family members and descendants from the stool, he claimed, adding that now the Female Stool (Akua Brenkwa-Kwakwaa Stool) has also become vacant as the Male Stool (Bonsra Afriyie Stool),” the spokesman said.
In Asante and Adansi custom when both male and female stools become vacant, the power lies with the Abusuapanin of the royal family to nominate a suitable candidate from among the royals to ascend the male stool as Adansihene who would later enstool a queen from among the royals.
Mr Nkrumah stated that now that the time has come for Abusuapanin Fosu to enstool an Omanhene with the support of the royals and kingmakers, “The new position created for Opanin Akomenteng is stalling the process.”
The spokesperson alleged that as a result of the new position created for Opanin Akomenteng, he is now claiming to be the one to select a candidate who must be enstooled as the Adansihene.
“But as far as the royal family is concerned, Opanin Fosu is the only abusuapanin of the Bonsra Afriyie royal family.
“We the members of the Bonsra Afriyie Royal Family are, therefore, humbly appealing to Otumfuo to hear our case,” he said.
By Kwame Asare Boadu/Daily Graphic/Ghana
