Bribery At Manhyia

OTUMFUO Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene has given hints of suspected bribery involving some chiefs in respect of the determination of the Essumeja Stool Affairs.

The King’s suspicion comes from the stalement in the dispute in which Nana Adwoa Abora, an elder of the Aduana family of Essumeja is contesting the eligibility of Nana Adwoa Obro Pokuaa Nyankropon,the queen mother by swearing the Great Oath of Asante.

At the sitting of the Asanteman Council on April 8, 2010 Otumfuo said on record that, he was aware that some chiefs had been influenced in the adjudication of the Essumeja chieftaincy dispute.

He also said he was aware how much each of the chiefs

involved received to overturn a report by a five-Member Judicial Committee appointed in May 2008 to determine the case. The Asantehene expressed surprise that the chiefs decide to enrich themselves instead of ensuring that the dispute was properly resolved to maintain peace. He was expecting that the chiefs could have even Pleaded that the Queen mother be allowed to occupy the stool since she had occupied it for some years now so that it (stool) could be reverted to the rightful occupant later but they chose to do otherwise to undermine the judicial process.

Following, Otumfuo Osei Tutu has directed that a new date be fixed for the final determination of the Essumeja case. On March 16, this year the five-member Judicial Committee headed by the Achirensuahene, Agyewodin Adu Gyamfi Ampem appointed in May 2008 to determine the eligibility of Nana Adwoa Obro Pokuaa Nyankropon as Queen mother of Essumeja, presented its report to the Asanteman Council.

The Committee’s report which was read to the Asanteman Council openly declared that the Queen mother is not eligible to the female stool of Essumeja on the basis of the evidence adduced over two years at the committee’s hearings. It indicated that Nana Nyankropon hails from Brosankro. The decision of the committee, which was unanimous, premised on the evidence regarding their respective family trees.

But Nana Nyankropon insisted that she is a royal of the stool raising objection to the findings of the committee, whose membership comprise Nana Owusu Ankoma, Seikwahene, Kyeame Boakye Yam, Nana Sabronum and Nana Adu Baah Ansah, Yamfohene. As a result, the Asanteman Council agreed to re-examine evidence including video recordings of proceedings against the Committee’s report. This exercise, which was duly funded by Otumfuo, was undertaken by nannom over three days from March 29 to March 31, 2010. When the Council met on April 1 to pronounce a verdict, 16 chiefs overturned the Committee’s report by siding with the claims of the Essumeja queen mother that she was eligible to the stool.

The pro-Nana Nyankropon chiefs include Manso-Nkwantahene, Bechemhene, Asokwa Mamponghene, Asafo Akwamu, Offinsohene, Tafohene, Mabanhene, Ejisuhene, Bekwaihene, Kokofuhene, Oyoko Bremanhene, Kwamanghene and the Adontenhene.

The chiefs on the other side who are, in support of the stand of the Committee that Nana Nyankrpon is not eligible include the Hiahene, Omanhene of Banda, Adankrangya, Nsuta, Ankobiahene, Adumhene, Atipinhene and Nkosuohene, besides the members of the Judicial Committee. April 8, 2010 was then fixed for the final determination but the queen mother failed to turn up because she was indisposed and excused herself from the meeting. The Asanteman Council is yet to fix a new date for the determination of the matter.

The Essumeja Aduana stool has been vacant since the demise of Odeneho Oduro Numapau III in 2003 thus creating a vacuum in the composition of the Asanteman Council which is currently without a Benkumhene in the person of a substantive chief of Essumeja.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu has told the Asanteman Council that he wants to see a chief installed at Essumeja, without delay and appealed to nananom to assist in the disposition of chieftaincy disputes to pave the way for the observation of Odwira festival this year. By Sebastian R. Freiku, Manhyia Palace , Kumasi.