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Opinions of Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Columnist: Fosu, John

Kumawu Chieftaincy's False Witnesses can Run but they Can't Hide

- Abena Wurukye Fails........



It has severally been revealed through different media that God Almighty has
appointed someone after His own Heart from the Ananangya royal family to occupy the
now vacant Kumawu Kodua Stool. God made His decision known to many a true men and
women of God. The decision has electronically been published many months ago and
still continues to be; yet, some doubting Thomases are still adamant about God's
intention. They are doing whatever is in their power as devil incarnates to prevent
God's decision from materialising.



One Abena Wurukye, a supposed member of the Kumawu Adomako Pim family was lured with
financial inducement by Kumawuhemaa to try to delay the ascendancy of the God's
Chosen One to the throne for more than two years. According to my in-depth
investigations conducted into the ongoing Kumawuman Chieftaincy dispute, Abena
Wurukye's services were solicited by Kumawuhemaa in an attempt to ward off the stern
challenge thrown by the Ananagyas/Odumases to wrench their throne from the Fulani
usurpers.

It will be recalled that Wurukye accompanied Kumawuhemaa with the Ohemaa's chief
supporter, Kumawu Kontrihene (alias Tikenenkene me de metri me gye), to the
Asanteman Council sitting. The sitting was scheduled to deliberate on why one Nana
Nti Kwakye, the Head of the Ananangya royal family, had invoked the Asantehene's
Great Oath (Ntamkese) on Kumawuhemaa. Nana Nti Kwakye had invoked Asantehene's Great
Oath on Kumawuhemaa at Kumawu when she became extremely insolent to him. He had
requested of the queen to allow an Ananangya royal to ascend to the Stool this time
around. The queen rained insults on him consequent upon which he invoked the oath on
her. Lest I forget, one Kyeame Osei, Chief Linguist, customarily arrested Nana Nti
Kwakye for invoking the oath, charged him twelve bottles of schnapps, and a number
of sheep. Nana Kwakye is said to have slaughtered one sheep and paid a bottle or two
of the schnapps.


Asantehene invited them to enquire why his Great Oath had been invoked. Kumawuhemaa
backtracking on her words, recoiling into her shell, licking back her vomit, was the
first to stand up to answer. She said, "Ananangyafo3 ye me nnuanom" - the Ananangyas
are my brothers and sisters. Just at the mention of this farcical statement, the
Octogenarian Nti Kwakye rose up, stood still, on his feeble legs. He quickly without
hesitation counteracted her statement by slapping her there and then with a
second-time Asantehene Ntamkese. He said something like, "I swear by Asantehene's
Great Oath that you are not our sister, you dubiously co-opted yourselves into the
Kumawu paramount royal family" At the mention of this, Kumawuhemaa was left agape,
scratched her head as though she was being tormented by lice or a sudden itchiness.


As pre-arranged with Abena Wurukye of the "Akokohwede notoriety", Wurukye rose to
her feet in the presence of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and before the Asanteman Council,
invoked Asantehene's Great Oath saying, " Me ka Asantehene Ntamkese se Kumawuhemaa
akondwo a ote so no ye me dea na me na me de maa no. Me nnte ase se nkokohwede
mmienu re k3ko obi afuo ase" Meaning, the throne that the queen is currently
occupying is hers (Wurukye's). She, Abena Wurukye, gave it to her. She therefore
doesn't understand why two bush fowls; (a figurative speech) should fight over a
spoil in someone's farm (fighting over the ownership of what does not belong to any
of them but someone else. This is the claim by Wurukye on oath. Nana Nti Kwakye in
defence of the truth, and to avert Wurukye's planned connivance to pervert the
course of justice, countered her claim with the same Ntamkese.


They were both summarily arrested as per Asante Custom and obliged to slaughter a
sheep each. Kumawuhemaa could not challenge Abena Wurukye though Wurukye on oath had
claimed the throne does not actually belong to the queen but her, Wurukye. How could
she, since she herself had brought Wurukye to assist her hold indefinitely onto the
throne stolen from the Ananangyas/Odumases by her forebears – Yaw Dabo etc.? Much
has been written on this issue so I will ignore the details but spring on to why
Wurukye the Akokohwede lost her case against the Ananangyas/Odumases. She claimed on
oath that the Kumawu paramount throne belongs to her and her Adomako Pim family if
we do well understand her figurative "akokohwede" story. But the following is the
reproduction of the unedited statement she submitted to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in an
attempt to delay the case much further. This was when she felt the noose getting
tighter on her neck, a bloody liar as she is.

In the follow-up write-up on same subject (Part II), I shall point out the
contradictions in Wurukye's statements during and after the invocation of the oath.
Will Kumawuhemaa also be spared of my revelations on her bizarre historical
background coupled with her attempts to continue to ruin Kumawuman? No, she will
not be spared of the rod. "Spare the rod and you spoil the child2 so an adage goes.

ADOMAKO
PIM
FAMILY
HOUSE
HOUSE
NO.
.....
KUMAWU-ASHANTI
HIS MAJESTY
OTUMFUO OSEI TUTU
ASANTEHENE
MANHYIA PALACE
MANHYIA, KUMASI

Your Royal Majesty,

PETITION BY THE ADOMAKO PIM ROYAL FAMILY
OF KUMAWU/ASHANTI

...............PETITION OF YOUR PETITIONERS SHOWETH AS FOLLOWS

1. That the Adomako Pim Royal Family of Kumawu has as its head, Abusuapanin
Kwabena Obeng with Madam Abena Wurukye as one of its principal members and the said
Abusuapanin Kwabena Obeng and Madam Abena Wurukye bring this Petition for themselves
and on behalf of the entire members of their family.

2. That members of your Petitioners' said family trace their ancestry through Nana
Ataa Sei (deceased), the first Aduana woman and queenmother of then Dadiese Tanoso
and now Kumawu.

3. That your Petitioners' said family has since time immemorial been one of the
royal families or lineages at Kumawu eligible for nomination for the occupancy of
the Kumawu Stool any time the stool became vacant.

4. That historically your Petitioners' said royal family has since time immemorial
taken and or played vital customary role pertaining to the Kumawu chieftaincy
affairs including the performance of various customary rites relative to the search
and enstoolment an occupant as well as burial/funeral rites of deceased occupants of
the Kumawu Stool. This is very well known in the history and annals of Kumawu.

5. That following from the above with the vacancy of the Kumawu Stool owing to the
demise of the late barimah Asumadu Sakyi and a search for his successor for the
Kumawu Stool, the Adomako Pim Family cannot be left out and or denied its time
tested customary role and involvement as stated above.

6. That the foregoing notwithstanding, sometime in 2008 it was discovered to the
dismay of Your Petitioners' family that the Aduanahene of Kumawu namely Nana Sarfo
Agyekum II and the head of the Ananagya family of Kumawu namely Opanin Nti Kwakye
had been making certain moves in respect of the search for eligible occupant of the
Kumawu Stool without due regard and recognition to Your Petitioners' Adomako Pim
Family.

7. That it further came to Your Petitioner' notice Nana Sarfo Agyekum II and Opanin
Nti Kwakye had alleged that it is the Odumasi, Ananagya and Ankaase families of
Kumawu that are the three (3) principal royal families eligible for nomination for
the occupancy of the vacant Kumawu Stool.

8. That having had notice of this allegation, Your Petitioners' proceeded to the
Queenmother of Kumawu Traditional area, Nana Serwaah Amponsah and enquired from her
whether she was aware of this allegation by Nana Sarfo Agyekum II and Opanin Nti
Kwakye.

9. The Queenmother admitted having had knowledge of the said allegation and
intimated to Your Petitioners and their family that she cannot deny Adomako Pim
Family's status as far as the Kumawu Stool affairs are concerned and will thus
accept our customary drinks relative to the nominations if we presented same.

10. That we further discovered that the said Nana Sarfo Agyekum II and Opanin Nti
Kwakye had sworn Your Majesty's Great Oath reiterating and maintaining their stands
that the Odumasi, Ananangya and Ankaase families of Kumawu are the only principal
royal families are eligible for nomination for the occupancy of the Kumawu Stool.

11. That as a result of this state of affairs the principal members of Your
Petitioners' family including Madam Abena Wurukye proceeded to the Manhyia Palace
and swore Your Majesty's Great Oath on Nana Sarfo Agyekum II and Opanin Nti Kwakye
who in turn responded.

12. That thereafter, Your Royal Majesty after receiving such complaint referred the
matter to a panel of four (4) members made up of the Nana Wiafe Akenten the
Offinsohene, Nana Adu Gyamfi the Adontenhene, Oheneba Atwereboana, Hiahene Baffour
Osei Kwame Kantankrakyi, Your Majesty's Linguist, to look into the matter and
present its findings to Your Majesty.

13. That Your Highness did indicate and made it clear that the panel pays attention
to the historical background of this matter, particularly relative to the historical
antecedents of the parties/families involved in this matter.

14. That consequently, Your Petitioners' family and their adversaries paid their
respective customary fees for the commencement of the arbitration in line with
Asante custom and usage.

15. That on the day of the first sitting, one Madam Akosua Agyemang Prempeh of
Kumawu, claiming to be the Obaapanin of the Adomako Pim Family appeared and invoked
Your Majesty's Great Oath, particularly on our Madam Abena Wurukye on the grounds
that she (Madam Akosua Agyemang Prempeh) is rather the Obaapanin of the Adomako Pim
Family capable to litigate with Nana Sarfo Agyekum II and Opanin Nti.


16. That the Panel upheld Madam Akosua Agyemang Prempeh's claim and thus found for
her that she is the person clothed with capacity to invoke the oath and to litigate
with Nana Sarfo Agyekum II and Opanin Nti but without going into the merits of the
claim by Madam Akosua Agyemang Prempeh and against all known customary procedures
and practices of Your Majesty and for that matter Asante.


17. That the Panel further decided that, its finding that Madam Akosua Agyemang
Prempeh is the person with the requisite capacity to litigate with Nana Sarfo
Agyekum II and Opanin Nti ended the substantive matter before them and between Your
Petitioners' Adomako Pim Family on the one hand and Nana Sarfo Agyekum II and Opanin
Nti on the other hand.


18. That with this development, the Panel requested Your Petitioners to pay a
customary fine of GHC 50 and to slaughter a sheep to Your Royal Highness signifying
that we have lost the matter.

19. That recognizing that these Panel members stood in the stead of Your Royal
Majesty, Your Petitioners though dissatisfied with the orders, paid only the fine of
GHC 50 contending that the Panel had not given Your Petitioners a fair hearing in
this matter as the members of the Panel refused to go into the merits of the matter
by calling witnesses from amongst our respective elders to ascertain the truth or
otherwise of the claim by the said Madam Akosua Agyemang Prempeh.


20. That subsequently, this came before Your Royal Highness and you further directed
the panel to go into the merits of all the matters in controversy as custom demands


21. That on that score the Panel decided to reverse itself on its earlier decision
and proceeded to consider the substantive matter on its merits.

22. That after inordinately delaying in fixing the matter for hearing, the panel
eventually fixed the matter for hearing on the 9th and 10th June, 2009.

23. That during the hearing on the 9th June, 2009 the Panel prevented Your
Petitioners from giving the historical account of Your Petitioners' case and
insisted that Your Petitioners cut out historical background, the very basis of Your
Petitioners' plaint, much to Your Petitioners' detriment and displeasure.

24. That in the course of the hearing, one of the Panel members, Kantankrakyi in his
bid to stop Your Petitioners from stating Your Petitioners' case by recounting Your
Petitioners' family history, in anger hit his hands on the table even to the
astonishment of other Panel members and later moved out of the sitting place in fury
leaving the other three Panel members with the litigants.

25. That upon his return to his seat, Kantankrakyi still insisted that Your
Petitioners commenced our case from mid-stream and this was concurred by the other
three Panel members to Your Petitioners' utmost surprise and dismay.

26. That the Panel to all intents and purposes refused to accept any historical
evidence that proved Your Petitioners' family's side of the matter as far as its
capacity and involvement in the Kumawu Stool affairs is concerned. Your Petitioners'
family history dates back to the beginning of the Asante Kingdom and hence all this
was not acceptable to the members of the Panel.

27. That the Panel thereafter adjourned the matter for continuation and insisted
that Your Petitioners brought our witnesses to be heard on the next adjourned date.

28. That on the next adjourned date, Your Petitioners' witnesses were also treated
in the same manner by refusing the historical evidence they led and the Panel forced
Your Petitioners to close our case and adjourned the matter to the 25th June 2009,
for the other side to advance their case.

29. That thereafter, (even though the matter had only been adjourned to the 25th
June 2009 for continuation) the other side i.e. Nana Sarfo Agyekum II and Opanin Nti
Kwakye together with members of their families went back to Kumawu and jubilated on
the grounds that Your Petitioners had lost our case and that the matter was
willy-nilly going to be adjudged by the Panel in their favour and that Your
Petitioners had lost totally.

30. That the foregoing caused a lot of worry to the entire membership of Your
Petitioners' family dreading that to the extent that Your Petitioners may not see
justice being done as far as the members of the Panel and their prejudicial conduct
as herein stated are concerned.

31 That notwithstanding the problems encountered by Your Petitioners at hearing
before Your Majesty's Panel, Your Petitioners are of the firm belief that having
regard to Your Majesty's stand on seeing that justice is manifestly seen to be done
to all manner of person(s) irrespective of their social standing and for the true
exposition of Asante history, custom and historic origins and traces of all Stools
under Your Majesty's Kingdom, should Your Majesty's kind attention be drawn to
matters contained in this Petition prompt redress would be given to Your
Petitioners' grievances.

John Fosu