GHANA’S AMBASSADOR to the Kingdom of Denmark from 2017 to 2021, Amerley Awuah- Asamoa, has been installed as the new queen mother of Wenchi in a colourful ceremony last Saturday.
With Nana Odensie Frema Tartuo III as her stool name, she replaces the late queen mother of the area, Nana Atoa Sramangyedua III who passed on a few years ago.
The colourful ceremony, however, nearly resulted in clashes between palace guards of the paramount chief of Wenchi Traditional Council, Osagyefo Ampem Annye Amoapong Tabrako III, who also celebrated his five years coronation anniversary at the Wenchi Jubilee Park concurrently.
Palace guards to royal families of Safoase Yefri and Nkwanduo Yefri Royal gates, who installed the new queen mother, carried her shoulder high amidst drumming, singing, firing of guns and musketries.
They had wanted to parade her through some principal streets of Wenchi but faced stiff resistance from guards loyal to the chief who fired guns and wield machetes ready to match on them.
There was trembling and fear as palace guards numbering more than 30 with amulets marched on to Busia quarter’s gate amidst chanting and guns firing before returned to their base where the coronation was taking place.
Before the near bloodshed, chief linguist (Okyeame Penin) Nana Kusi Buadusu poured libation and called on departed royal family members including past queen mothers and paramount chiefs to bless the queen and make her successful.
He also prayed for good health, peace and development for the people of Wenchi.
Dormaa Twafo Nifahemaa, Nana Abena Yeboah, performed the enstoolment rites and placed the new queen mother on the stool three times.
She was carried shoulder high from Busia quarters to the street linking Akrobi and the main Wenchi Roundabout where the skirmishes broke out.
Later In an interview, Nana Odensie Frema Tartuo III, 68, pledged her commitment to the welfare of the people of Wenchi, saying her immediate preoccupation is to foster unity among the royal families.
She, therefore, called for their collaboration from all the tree gates of Wenchi royal families to move the town forward in development.
She also shared plans to reduce teenage pregnancy among girls in the community which has become a canker, and promote girls’ education in the Wenchi municipality.
She finally appealed to all and sundry to help put the protracted chieftaincy dispute behind.
“Wenchi is one of the oldest towns in the country, but due to chieftaincy problem, it has lacked in development compared to other towns in the Bono Region. So I plead with Wenchi citizens both home and abroad to join me and let’s contribute our quota to development of Wenchi,” she told the media.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Wenchi