The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has destooled Chief of Abuontem in the Bosomtwe, District of the Ashanti region, Nana Kwaku Duah III.
The destooled Chief was summoned before the Kumasi Traditional Council Meeting Chaired by the Overload of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Monday 21st August 2023 to respond to a number of charges levelled against him by his elders including the illegal sale of disputed lands which Otumfuo ordered parties in the dispute not to step foot on the land until the dispute is resolved.
However, Nana Kwaku Duah III who reported the other party to the traditional Council defied Otumfuo’s directive and started releasing the lands in contention to an estate developer prompting his destoolment.
Nana Kwaku Duah III was accused of hiring thugs to assault his elders who disagreed with him on issues of multiple sales of lands, a charge he couldn’t deny hence the Kumasi Traditional Council found him guilty of the charges.
Speaking at the Council meeting, Otumfuo said “I allowed you to swear the Asante Oath because I wanted you to be a Chief in my Kingdom, so I hold nothing against you. I wanted you to play a role in the Kingdom to promote peace and development. Are you not the same person who came and filed a complaint that a certain Contractor ‘Jodesco Construction is selling the land we gave them for a special project in your area that brought Dedesua issue into this matter? I directed the contractor to halt work for investigations to be conducted into the matter. So, it became clear that the land was released by Asona and the Fie family to them so I said Nana Kwaku Duah III you are the caretaker for the two families land so I said nobody should work on the land’’.
He explained “I told you all that I’m forming a committee to investigate the issue for peace to prevail among all the parties claiming ownership of the land. I have always said I’m the owner of all lands in Asanteman so if land disputes come before me, I entreat you all to exercise patience until I give final verdict on the matter. You Kwaku brought this issue before the Traditional Council, and I directed that nobody should go to the land. You heard me right and you were very happy with the directive. After I said that, you sent your people onto the disputed land to work on it. Meaning you came to complain so that I will stop the other parties in the dispute without administering justice for you to take the land, right? Once you have defied my order you have violated our tradition and the oath you took before me. You can’t be regarded as a Chief anymore, leave my stool and go.”
The embattled chief became the fourth traditional leader to have suffered the wrath of the Asantehene within the span of two 90days.
The Chief of Adumoa in the Afigya Kwabre District, Nana Osei Tiri Ababio, Antoahene Nana Kwame Owusu Agyeman and the Chief of Bekwai-Abodom, Nana Saforo Koto lost their stools and influence in the Asante Kingdom.
The destoolment of some chiefs in the Asante Kingdom by Asantehene in recent times have been due to multiple sale of lands, sale of lands to illegal miners and violation of the Asante traditional Chieftaincy customary rites.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com/Isaac Justice Bediako
