Barimah Pobi Asomaning II
Tension is mounting at Asamankese in the Eastern Region following the decision by Barimah Pobi Asomaning II, chief of Aworasa in the Asamankese Traditional Area, to take over the Asamankese stool.
According to him, a High Court and the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs have held that his rival Osabarima Adu Darko II is not the rightful occupant of the stool and said he cannot hold himself as such.
He indicated that he had notified all relevant authorities, including the Inspector General of Police about what he called “the continuous occupation of the palace” by the rival chief and had written a petition to the Presidency to intervene.
In his petition, Barimah Pobi Asomaning II said, “Kwasi Obeng (Osabarima Adu Darko II) still parades himself as a chief of Asamankese despite the High Court and the Regional House Committee to ask all the parties to go back to the drawing board and we, the royal family of Akua-Korang of Asamankese do not want to take the laws of the land into our own hands.”
He also called on the “family head of the Royal Asona Clan of Kyebi to call on various stakeholders to amicably resolve the pending chieftaincy dispute.”
“I write humbly to your noble office as a humble call on the pending chieftaincy dispute between the Royal Abrade family of Akua-Korang of Asamankese and the queen mother of Asamankese and her son Kwasi Obeng who purports and parades himself as a legitimate chief of Asamankese Traditional Area.”
“I humbly call on your higher office to call the two factions within the shortest possible time in order to avert any mayhem at Asamankese since the appeal that the queen mother and her son made at the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs against the initial judicial and High Court rulings were withdrawn later by themselves admitting to the fact that the various rulings stand and therefore fresh nomination of chief must be made by both parties.”
According to Barimah Pobi Asomaning II, the rival chief has the tacit support of some people in government, adding “that has been the sole reason for which the palace at Asamankese has not been locked by the security forces following the court order to lock down the palace until and after there is a fresh nomination of a new chief for Asamankese.”
“My family and I don’t want to believe that the alleged speculations are true because we have rules and regulations governing Okyeman and Ghana as a whole of which no single individual is above. How can someone who has lost a case both at the Ofori Panin Fie and that of the High Court and the Regional House of Chiefs still continue to purport and parade himself as a chief?”
“My family and I shall not watch or allow our family property to be taken away from us unconstitutionally. The queen mother cannot install her son Kwasi Obeng as the chief of Asamankese and at the same time install another person as the family head all from the same Amankwanua lineage.”
“We are, therefore, calling on the authorities to step in and help curb the possibility of mayhem at Asamankese. This is because my family and I are ready to stop Kwasi Obeng from celebrating the Ohum because per the various rulings we have, he is not a chief and cannot hold himself as such.”
Osabarima Adu Darko II is yet to respond to the issues raised by Barimah Pobi Asomaning II.