on Asantehene's Ruling

"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his course succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot"------Mark Twain. This saying goes for those who are not only willing to contest with the God's chosen one now that the light at the end of the tunnel is within reach, revealing and beckoning, but are willing to harm him spiritually. Will they succeed in their diabolical acts? No way.

"Slow is smooth. Smooth is quick" The Asantehene was too slow to hearing the Kumawu Chieftaincy case but when it came to delivering the verdict, he was as quick, if not quicker than lightning.

For how long will the Kumawuhemaa and her Ankaase royals continue to act blind to all arguments and revelations about their illegal royal status quo? Are they not just being irrationally selfish and greedy? They are still grappling with the shock that they have been exposed beyond argument to have been illegal occupants of the Kumawu paramount throne for all these years. Some of the Ankaase royals in the U.S.A opine that the throne is theirs because they have been occupying it for the entirety of the last century. This expressed opinion is as shallow as it sounds silly. Point of correction..., Barima Kwabena Kodua, alias Nana Seth, who was succeeded by Barima Otuo Acheampong from the Ankaase family after his obligatory abdication in 1951, was from the Ananangya royal family. He had ruled for ten years but for his military style of ruling, his subjects had come to hate and scorn him hence, compelled him to relinquish his hold on the throne. Before the occupation of the throne by Barima Kwame Afram, another notorious chief from the Ankaase royal family, in the early 1900s, there was an Ananangya royal as chief. How then could the Ankaase royals have occupied the stool for a continuous one hundred years? Whatever the truth in their allegation, they had, and have always remained illegal occupants of the paramount Kumawu Kodua Stool.

Some of these so called Ankaase royals are shamelessly saying, "the palace is in our area of abode in Kumawu, we shall see how any Ananangya royal crowned as chief can live in there" Thank you for your continuous evil intentions fortunately revealed in your advance warning. But note, "To be forewarned is to be forearmed". Moreover, the Almighty God who has appointed him is his shield and buckler, whom shall he fear? Any weapon formed against him shall not prosper, regardless of where it comes from. Therefore be warned, those of you whom in the secret of their hearts may plot, or are plotting against the God's chosen one. Any spiritual or physical execution of harm on him shall be rebuffed by God Himself.

Kumawuhemaa held a crisis meeting with her Ankaase family in Kumawu on Thursday, 29 April 2010. They are all tight-lipped on the cause and the outcome of the meeting. She might have called the meeting to discuss the way forward to throwing in the towel. She has come to realise how the entire Kumawuman have come to detest her insolence upon knowing that they are after all not genuine royals. If she had listened to the directions of God as mostly revealed in my write-ups way back in the year 2008, the secret about their background would not have been revealed in detail as it stands today. Anyway, God wants them out as remorseless, insatiably greedy, and visionless as they are, have been, and will always be.

I learnt from one of the great historians of Kumawuman way back in the early 1970s about how Kumawu especially, was about to be ruined owing to an act of despicable taboo committed by the Ankaase royals. Opanin Yaw Forson, the historian who doubled as an ever-flowing fountain of wisdom in whom history students found succour and solace, and cried upon his shoulder in times of need, said and I quote, "This is the end of Kumawu. It will be ruined because Okomfo Anokye had warned Kumawu not to have a number of consecrated stools exceeding.... (number withheld), yet the Ankaase royals have through the consecration of Barima Otuo Acheampong's stool defied as prophesized". Truly as said, the late Barima Asumadu Sakyi II sooner after his coronation as the paramount chief of Kumawuman than he became an embezzler. Teamed up with his sister, the current disgraced Kumawuhemaa, they squandered every pesewa that came into the Kumawu Traditional Council's coffers until today. They did not even purchase a bag of cement to initiate a project of some sort for Kumawuman. Kumawu to be specific looks a shadow of its former self. It is completely mired in annihilation and appears not to be the town that was once selected by Okomfo Anokye to compete for the seat of the Asante Kingdom; by planting two "KUM trees", one in the current Kumasi and another in the present day Kumawu. The rule was in whichever of the two towns where the tree thrives would become the capital. As that of Kumasi thrived, the one in Kumawu withered. Why Kumawu should not match Kumasi in development to a certain degree but is left in tatters? According to Opanin Yaw Forson, the curse brought upon Kumawu for infringing upon Okomfo Anokye's prophesy could only be averted by removing the extra stool which is one too many from the stools' storage room in the palace. When removed as in desecration, it should be taken to his mum's (Abenaa Apomasu) house. The town or Kumawuman should then go through the usual related traditional purification to restore its lost or past glory.

I have tears welling up in my eyes whenever the shameless mistreatment of Opanin Yaw Forson by Barima Asumadu Sakyi II and his clique of bandits come into mind. I may not be very specific on this subject owing to its sensitivity, and the possible harm it can cause Kumawuman. In a nutshell, Opanin Yaw Forson at Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's reign used his personal money to fight a Court case on behalf of Kumawuman. When he did contact and suggest to Barima Otuo Acheampong, the then paramount chief of Kumawuman about the need for fighting the case in court, Barima Otuo Acheampong said, "Yaw, oman no ni sika a ye de betwe saa mmanso yie. Na me nsane me nye ni se ye betumi adi nkonin" (Yaw, the state/town has no money to engage in this litigation. And again, I don't believe we can win the case). Opanin Yaw Forson as fully persuaded to winning the case as he was, offered to give it a go but on agreed terms written into what was a contract of agreement. He was always to be given 10% of whatever money accrues from the deal being contested. It took him several years of sweat, money, legal, social and family inconveniences to win the case.

When the money started coming during the early days of the reign of Barima Asumadu Sakyi II, he was not only short-changed but banished from ever stepping a foot in the palace. When Barima Asumadu went for 1.5 million Cedis, an equivalent of $1.5 million in those days as the currency exchange rate was 1 Cedi to 1 dollar, Opanin Forson alerted him to an existing contract in his favour. The chief advised him to submit the contract for perusal. When it was produced, Barima read it and on finishing, said, "You did cheat them on the terms of the contract because they were unschooled. How can you as one person, have 10% of the deal?" The chief, who had the contract papers in hand, set fire to them. He burnt them and ordered Opanin Forson to leave the palace. He did not part with a pesewa to him but embezzled the whole money with his then unscrupulous sub-chiefs. Opanin Yaw Forson still has a stake in whatever money accrues from the deal that was contested in court in those days. Would the contract ever be honoured as stated? I hope not. Could it not be reasonable acknowledging the contract and then simply giving his family a certain small one-off sum of money rather than completely cutting Opanin Forson off? Do not bite the very finger that feeds you, so an adage goes. If Kumawuman could be proud and prosperous once more, it is principally as a result of God's timely intervention but don't sidestep Opanin Yaw Forson. He was the one who out of love for Kumawuman, announced to Barima Otuo Acheampong what Dr. Nkrumah had said and initiated to give it a go hence, the court case. In the end, he succeeded and made Kumawuman proud and rich but only to be castigated when the money started flowing in.

This is how wicked the Ankaase royals can be. It is good that God Himself is on course to banish them from the throne. I always stand on the side of truth. The elders of Kumawuman, you are open to investigate this story relating to Opanin Yaw Forson. "If you have nothing to hide, you should have nothing to fear".

John Fosu