in the Kumawuman Chieftaincy Dispute

It is said to be better doing nothing than to be busy doing nothing. All efforts so far expended by the Ananangyas/Odumases trying to wrestle their birthright throne stolen from them by the Ankaase royals amount to almost nothing. The lack of seriousness so far depicted makes a mockery of any attempts they seem to have made since the very inception of the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute. Had it not been for the fact that God is on their side with His revealed unflinching determination to ensure the throne goes back to its rightful owners, thus, the Ananangyas/Odumases, I would long have written them off. I am personally flabbergasted at their snail-pace attitude to going about taking the throne from the usurpers, thus, the Ankaase royals. But have I forgotten that the tortoise finally won the race against the hare? Will it then be the case of "Slow is smooth and Smooth is quick?" What I mean by this is when you rush doing things you are bound to make mistakes thereby slowing down the intended process but when you take your time working out things properly, though slow as the process may seem, you will get it right at the first try. What a philosophical attitude of composure and calm in the presence of annoyances as adopted by the Anananagyas and the Odumases?

One wonders why the Ananangya and the Odumase royal families, the descendants of the originator of the paramount Kumawu Kodua stool, and hence the rightful owners, are inadvertently succumbing to the continuously, dubiously instituted tactical ploys intended for robbing them of their throne? I can hardly understand their slowness and or difficulty to act like warriors fighting tirelessly to repossess their precious property regardless how cogent their raison d'être. They have by their docility unnecessarily lengthened the timescale for the enthronement of the much awaited next Kumawuhene from within their lot. They easily fall prey to any false assurances given them by the connivers who are unceasingly teaming up with Kumawuhemaa to defraud them of their birthright. The Ananangyas/Odumases have eyes but they seem not to see. They have ears but they cannot hear. They have brains but they cannot comprehend, cannot discern, and cannot interpret God's stance taken in their favour on the ongoing chieftaincy issue.

Until the Ananangyas/Odumases end their complacency to uncompromisingly begin to seek answers to certain pertinent questions, their expectation of ever ascending to the Kumawu paramount throne as the rightful royals will take many more years if not become a mere wishful thinking. I wonder how they cannot see the essence of assigning working time frame to their dealings on this issue; when they should actually take full possession of the throne but choose to resign themselves to fate. They believe time will tell and fate should be allowed to take its natural course. They want Asantehene to decide in his own time when a firm positive action or decision will be taken on the case. What a defeatist idea! "Time and tide wait for no man", I repeat. The two leading members of the Ananangyas/Odumases should know that being octogenarians, they have not many years left on their plate here on earth, for that Asantehene and the Kumawuhemaa know. Why then should they play with time? Why then should they allow charlatans to play on their intelligence? Anyway, you can force the horse to the riverside but you can't force it to drink.

The over reverence of the Asantehene by the Ananangyas and the Odumases has become a stumbling block to any implementable efforts likely to bring about speedy resolution to the pending case. One may ask me how or why? The answer is that simple. The chieftaincy case was initially being dealt with in the court. Asantehene had felt it expedient to get all matters relating to traditional administration under his jurisdiction resolved outside court. He requested of the disputants, the Ananangyas/Odumases on one side and the Kumawuhemaa on another, to grant him permission to arbitrate the case by withdrawing it from the court and brought before him. The Ananangyas/Odumases being the complainants had instituted the court action against Kumawuhemaa and so held the final decision as to whether or not the case would be withdrawn as requested by Asantehene. Out of respect for Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, for being the Overlord of Asanteman, the case was withdrawn from court and brought before him. Little did anyone perceive that the settlement of the case was going to take ages owing to Kumawuhemaa exploiting her sexual relationship with "Ote Kokoo so" (Otumfuo Osei Tutu II) to her advantage. For almost three years now, the Asantehene in my opinion is clueless about how to resolve the case with requisite astuteness. Is his inability or lack of enthusiasm to arbitrate the case within sensible limited timescale as expected intentional, influenced by a cast fetishist's spell or what? Is one not obliged to believe the boastful assertions by Kumawuhemaa purporting to throw light onto her special relationship with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as the very hurdle causing the delay to hearing the case which she hopefully believes will be decided in her favour? What stops the Ananangyas/Odumases to question Otumfuo Osei Tutu II about his utter display of foot-dragging and probable nonchalance as far as resolving the Kumawu chieftaincy goes? It amounts to complete abuse of power on his part and cowardice on the part of the Ananangyas/Odumases. "Respect is earned but not commanded" and by his lack of respect for Kumawuman as evidenced in his untoward attitude to the Kumawuman case, he has lost the respect of many a suffering Kumawuman citizens the world over. For how long should the case linger on, Kumawuman citizens? Asantehene by failure to call into deliberation the invoked "Ntamkese" is in effect helping Kumawuhemaa emerge stronger in the pending case. Is it a way of rewarding her for a service rendered him either covertly or overtly? Tongues are wagging so an answer is needed!

Anyway, Kumawuhemaa according to reliable source has said she is no longer going to lose sleep over the chieftaincy case. She says as long as the Ananangyas/Odumases cannot forcibly enthrone their God's Chosen one without her consent, she has the upper hand in the case and would ensure the case drags on until her opponents, thus, the Ananangyas/Odumases throw in the towel. She is said to have cited a recent situation in Wenchi where a true royal installed as chief with the popular support of almost the entire citizens of the town has encountered a problem. The Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs is said to have denied the new chief recognition based on the fact that he was not traditionally nominated and supported by the queen. What a heck! Kumawu's case may be different from that of Wenchi in that Kumawuhemaa was the first person to have disrespected tradition. She has since the demise of Barima Asumadu Sakyi II, deliberately failed to declare the throne vacant in which case she should have invited eligible royals to present their customary drinks to be considered for aspiring to ascend to the throne. She had just decided to impose either her son or her favourite from the "supposed" Ankaase royal family on Kumawuman as the succeeding paramount chief to the late "Kumawu Omanhene Barima Asumadu Sakyi II. She has also been reneging on the requirements of the "Asantehene's Great Oath" (Ntamkese) by way of deliberately failing to report back to the Asanteman Council whether or not she will counter the oath as invoked on her by the Ananangya family Head. Almost three years ago the "Ntamkese" was invoked on her alleging that she is not a true royal. She has not been able to challenge the allegation since the said invocation of oath. Should it not be considered as a situation of "silence is consent?" Does Kumawuman not have the absolute right to enthrone the God's Chosen one as their paramount chief without him being ostracized by the Asanteman Council seeing that Kumawuhemaa is only interested in delaying the case?

Kumawuhemaa is resolutely determined not to sit around any negotiation table with the Odumases. According to her, the Odumase royal family has been excommunicated from the Kumawu royalty or royal line by Nana Okomfo Anokye, the most renowned Ashanti fetish priest. The then chief who hailed from the Odumase side of the royal line had not only failed to join an ongoing battle but had slaughtered a tethered bull meant for purifying the town and also for thanks offering to the gods and ancestors if Kumawuman emerged victorious. When the battle ended in success and the people and Nana Okomfo Anokye came to find the bull (nantwie) killed and eaten by the chief and his household, he invoked the powers of the rivers and the gods in a curse upon them saying, "you and your royal household will never ascend to the Kumawu paramount seat but for what you have done, you will forever become butchers" Truly as said, it is only from that family that some "Asantefo3" butchers did emerge to the bewilderment of many. There were Opanin Kwadwo Nsiah, Opanin Berko and Opanin Kwaku Donkor a.k.a. Parker who were all bucthers from that family. Many were those that thought at the time that working in a slaughterhouse as a butcher was the preserve for Northerners (ntafo3). By this occurrence, the invoked curse has worked on the Odumases, some conclude.

Were the mentioned persons who are now deceased forced into butchery by any human supervision or coercion? No. It was either done out of volition or by the potency of the curse as pronounced by Nana Okomfo Anokye. Why then is Kumawuhemaa saying because they have been cursed, they are forever excommunicated as royals? I beg to differ. They are still royals who are equally eligible to rule Kumawuman without any obstruction from whomever. The only thing that can prevent them from ruling Kumawuman is the power inhered in the curse that may kill them once they ascend to the throne if it will at all. No one needs an ineligible fellow in the person of Kumawuhemaa to remind us of, or dramatize this issue which is not any secret to many a Kumawuman citizen. They are genuine royals. They are a hundred times more genuine than the usurper Ankaase royals. Butchery is a respected profession the world over.

When one considers the Fire Triangle with its components of Heat, Oxygen and Fuel, there should be that Chemical reaction to create fire. Without that chemical reaction, there will never be any fire. God has finished his work of handing over the throne to the Ananangyas/Odumases. It is up to them to grab it by making that little assertive move of questioning the Asantehene on his dilly-dallying. Sitting on their lap, with their head buried in their palms is purely a sign of hoping against hope. It will not yield the desired result. That is not the type of chemical reaction needed to yield any anticipated fire result. Ask Asantehene whether he is ready and able to arbitrate the case? Give him a time limit within which he should pronounce judgment. Many are those that are beginning to lose interest in the case, the very wish of Kumawuhemaa and her Ankaase royals. Once people's interest is waned and they start agitating for a chief regardless where he comes from, Kumawuhemaa will take advantage. But she is permanently faulted by God.

God still says He has chosen one from the Ananangyas to ascend to the Kumawu paramount throne. How do you let it come to pass what God has said, oh the Ananangya royal family? For how long will you sit while others take you for fools? Either you put up or you shut, so goes a popular saying. Will you choose to shut up?

John Fosu