There could be possible clashes in Akyem Kwabeng in the Eastern Region this morning if a planned installation of one Addison Kwabena Boateng Nuamah as chief of the area comes off.
The kingmakers of the land, the royal Akanwenem family, are threatening to stall any such process from taking place pending the final determination of a case before the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council over who is the rightful heir to the stool.
Currently, there are two claimants to the stool – Boateng Nuamah, who is billed to be installed this morning, and Brigadier General Awity, who has already been nominated by the royal family under the stool name, Daasebre Oti Bruku II.
On June 6, 2018, D.M Ofori-Atta, State Secretary of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council, was issued a notice of events for the installation of Boateng Nuamah scheduled for today.
The event is supposed to take place at the forecourt of the Kwabeng palace at 6am.
But even before the event could take place, the Abuasuapanin of the royal Asona Akanwenem family of Kwabeng, Barfour Oduro Firikyi, has caused his lawyers at Oseawuo Chambers to petition the Eastern Regional Minister and copied the Atiwa West District Chief Executive, the Regional Police Commander and the Divisional Police Commander against the intended installation.
That they said was because “the purported installation is without the consent and authority of the royal Akanwenem family at Kwabeng” who are the kingmakers of the land and questioned the authority of DM Ofori-Atta in issuing such notices.
Besides, they noted that the Kwabeng stool has been a matter of litigation since the demise of the late Osabarima Darkwa Woe II in January 2009. Currently, there is a petition pending before the judicial committee of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council concerning who is eligible to succeed the late chief.
Apart from Addision Kwabena Boateng Nuamah who is laying claim to the stool, the royal Akanwenem family has also proposed the name of a serving army officer, Brigadier General C.K.A.A Awity, as their choice for installation as chief under the stool name, Daasebre Oti Bruku II. His uncle was the late chief, Darkwa Woe II.
The royal Akanwenem family have therefore sworn that any attempt to install another chief either than Brigadier General Awity “would be fiercely resisted and the outcome would lead to a breach of peace.”
To forestall this, they have therefore implored the Eastern Regional Minister and the police to ensure that “the said ceremony is cancelled and the parties advised to await the outcome of the judicial process in determining who should be the next successor to Osabarima Darkwa Woe II”.