"Opanin" instead of "Nana" Puts IGP in Court

Nana Asomadu Poku, Odikro of Afrancho, near Kumasi has filed a motion at a Kumasi High Court seeking a relief to commit the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and two others for daring to call him "Opanin" instead of "Nana", which amounts to wilfully treating with contempt a destoolment case pending before the Judicial Committee of the Kumasi Traditional Council.

The motion is also asking that the IGP and the two others should be committed for contempt for treating a certiorari application pending before High Court Six in Kumasi with contempt.

The two others are Chief Inspector R. A. K. Larbi and Detective Sergeant Joseph Abugbillah of the Ashanti Regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

A statement and a supporting affidavit filed by the Holy Trinity Chambers, solicitors for Nana Poku is asking the court to restrain the IGP and the two other police officers from describing the applicant as an "Ex-Odikro, Opanin Asomadu Poku".

The statement claimed that though the case is pending before the Judicial Committee of the Kumasi Traditional Council and the High Court, the Police are dragging Nana Poku to the Ashanti New Town Community Tribunal on Monday, May 28, to sign a bond not to hold himself as the "Odikro of Afrancho".

The grounds of the relief according to the solicitors is that with the full knowledge of the fact that the applicant is the "Chief of Afrancho" and that the matter is pending before the Kumasi Traditional Council and has not been determined, the respondents have decided to describe the applicant as an "Ex-Odikro Opanin Asomadu" instead of "Nana Asomadu Poku, Chief of Afrancho".

It said with the full knowledge that the applicant has not been destooled the respondents described him as an "Ex-Odikro of Afrancho" and decided to call him "Opanin" instead of "Nana".

The statement said the respondents fully know that there is an application for certiorari seeking to quash the arbitral oral pronouncement by Baffour Osei Hyiaman, Abusuapanin Kwaku Addae, Nana Atta Kwadwo, Anthony Owusu Nsiah and

Obaapanin Yaa Dwaabo of the destoolment of the applicant.

It said the conduct of the respondents show their disrespect to the judicial committee of the Kumasi Traditional Council and the High Court and that the respondents, who are fully aware of the pendency of the actions have wilfully treated the courts with contempt.

Hearing of the motion has been fixed for Monday, May 28, 2001.