The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Asanteman Council meeting on April 20, 2026, could not hold back his displeasure on the ongoing chieftaincy dispute in the Sampa Traditional Area in the Bono Region.

The king, while addressing the council, called out some key appointees of the government, including the Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, Minister of Chieftaincy and Local Government Ahmed Ibrahim, and Bono Regional Minister Joseph Addae Akwaboa, accusing them of using their political power to prevent the legitimate chief of the area from ascending the stool.

“The Sampa chieftaincy issue has already been settled. The chief has taken the oath, the matter has gone to court and he has been registered by the National House of Chiefs. Yet, when he attempts to go to the town, a regional minister writes that his security cannot be guaranteed. Meanwhile, the one who is not the legitimate chief is controlling the town, with ministers and the regional police commander backing him,” he said.

He added, “I want to tell these ministers that time changes. Today, you have power, so you use it anyhow. But the Sampa chief will not die, and the town belongs to him. He will definitely assume his rightful place.”

Here are details of the chieftaincy dispute

The chiefs in the dispute:

On December 18, 2023, Justice Emmanuel Ankamah of the Court of Appeal became the new Sampahene after swearing the oath of allegiance to the custodian of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

Don’t become a judge who sits in public with whisky beside him – Otumfuo’s chiefs advise new Sampahene

The event formed part of events marking his installation as the new chief of Sampa in the Bono Region under the stool name Nana Samgba Gyafia II.

However, a rival chief, Nana Yaw Sammor-Duah II, who had already been installed, challenged the legitimacy of Nana Samgba Gyafia II.

The rival chief had the support of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, which is headed by the Dormahene, Osagefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II.

Because of the failure to find a traditional solution to the dispute, the matter was taken to court.

Court ruling on the chieftaincy dispute:

Nana Samgba Gyafia II took the issue to court on June 14, 2024, where he sued the Bono Regional House of Chiefs (1st respondent) and the National House of Chiefs (2nd respondent). The Sampa Traditional Council and Nana Yaw Sammor-Duah II were also listed as interested parties in the case.

According to a report by asaaseradio.com, Nana Gyafia II, in his statement of case, said that after being selected as the Paramount Chief of the Sampa Traditional Area and swearing an oath of allegiance to Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Bono Regional House of Chiefs refused to gazette his name in the National Register of Chiefs but rather submitted the chieftaincy declaration forms to Nana Yaw Sammor-Duah II, who had been sworn in back in 2015.

He accused the Bono Regional House of Chiefs of disregarding past arbitration rulings by the Asanteman Traditional Council that affirmed him as the rightful chief. According to him, the regional house wrongfully submitted documents to the National House of Chiefs, recognising Sammor-Duah as Paramount Chief and one Nana Asraa II as Queenmother.

Nana Yaw Sammor-Duah II, who had the support of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, said that he was the legitimate chief of Sampa, refuting claims that he was part of the arbitration of the Asanteman Traditional Council.

He reportedly said that the Sampa Stool does not owe allegiance to the Asantehene, maintaining that he was legitimately selected as the Paramount Chief of Sampa and not a self-imposed ruler, as asserted by some.

He argued that his installation followed due process, even though Nana Kwadwo Magsah III, acting President of the Sampa Traditional Council, was absent during his introduction. He insisted that the Gyaasehene, Nana Kwasi Sie, rightfully chaired the meeting in Magsah’s absence.

The court, after listening to the arguments of all the parties in the suit, ruled that Nana Samgba Gyafia II was the legitimate Paramount Chief of Sampa.

In its judgment, the court acknowledged that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had settled the Sampa chieftaincy dispute through customary arbitration, leading to Gyafia’s approval, adding that the Chieftaincy Declaration Forms had been duly signed by Nana Kwadwo Magsah and approved by nine out of ten chiefs, and could not be ignored.

The court issued a mandamus order compelling the Bono Regional House of Chiefs to process and submit Gyafia’s forms for gazetting in the National Register of Chiefs within 21 days.



Contempt case against the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and the Dormaahene:

Sampamanhene's Contempt Case: High Court orders substituted service on Dormaahene

The order of the court for Nana Gyafia II to be recognised as the legitimate chief of Sampa has not been carried out by the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, which led to him filing a case of contempt of court against the house and its leader, the Dormaahene, at the High Court in Kumasi.

The High Court in Kumasi, in May 2025, ordered a substituted service on Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II and the Bono Regional House, after all attempts to serve the two parties proved futile.

The order of the court followed failed personal service attempts on the paramount chief of Dormaa, who is also a High Court judge in private life.

Court documents shared by the media house showed that the substituted service was to be done via notices on High Court notice boards (Kumasi & Sunyani), walls and Registrar of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, and/or a Daily Graphic publication.

To date, the order of the court has not been carried out by the Bono Traditional Council.

Information available to GhanaWeb indicates that after the Bono Regional House failed, an order was issued to the National House of Chiefs to gazette Nana Samgba Gyafla II, which was done.

BAI

AROUND TOWN: Unstable power hits Teshie as residents question return of 'dumsor'



'President Mahama wasn't my friend initially' - Julius Debrah recounts