Nana Enoku Panyin III
The chiefs of Aowin Traditional Area in the Western North Region have dismissed a series of claims levelled by some people in the area against the Omanhene of Aowin, Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III.
They were especially concerned with the claims of one Louis Yamoah, also known as Nana Kwame Nkansah II, an Odikro of Jomoro in the Aowin Traditional Area who claimed to be the divisional chief.
They claimed that the odikro has accused the Omanhene of engaging in criminal actions such as misapplying timber revenues meant for the traditional council, among other things.
They emphasised that the fabricated claims were intended to discredit and weaken the Omanhene’s persona in the eyes of the people.
As a result, they have requested that the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs conduct independent but thorough inquiries into the subject.
The chiefs alleged that the Odikro is a close companion of someone who lost the race for the Aowin paramount stool, and that he has opted to confront the reigning Omanhene on behalf of the failed paramount chief.
Tufuhene of Anyi Oyoko Royal Palace, Nana Enoku Payin III, claimed at a news conference in the area that Yamoah is simply an Odikro of Jomoro under the Kyidom Stool of the Aowin Traditional Area.
Nana Enoku Panyin, speaking on behalf of 17 other chiefs, stated that because Mr. Yamoah is an Odikro, he is not eligible for timber royalties payments.
“None of the Divisional Chiefs who qualify for royalties has complained about stealing against our Omanhene, who is rather trying to retrieve all our stolen royalties since the passing of the late Odeneho Brentu IV,” he stated.
According to him, royalty payments were placed into a GCB account and then siphoned off by some people to pursue their nefarious chieftaincy contracting agenda.
He added that in order to stop this fraudulent behaviour, a new bank account was made at Agricultural Development Bank in Enchi, and as a result, criminal charges were filed against the Omanhene.
He continued, “Even royalties which should be paid to the paramount stool for the ‘maintenance of the Stool in keeping with its status’—Article 267 (6) of the 1992 Constitution—has been misapplied by various registrars.”
The chiefs, therefore, called on the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to freeze all payments into the Aowin Traditional Council’s account until all outstanding issues are resolved.
Nana Nkansah II Reacts
When DAILY GUIDE called Nana Tetebu Kwame Nkansah, he stressed that the Omanhene and all of the chiefs who signed the statement are not recognised traditional leaders of the Aowin Traditional Council.
He said that the traditional council had not gazetted any of the chiefs, including the supposed Omanhene.
“They do not have any evidence to confirm that they are chiefs in the traditional area,” he stressed.
He explained that the Jomoro area was elevated to divisional status in 1979, and that he, not Odikro, ascended the throne as Divisional Chief.
“I was named Best Divisional Chief of the Year by the Ghana Chieftaincy Awards two years in a row. How can an Odikro be given a Divisional Chief award?” he wondered.
He denied stealing money from the GCB account, claiming that it was the said Omanhene who opened a new account in the name of the traditional council, and that the case is still pending in court.
Some of the other chiefs
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi