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Opinions of Friday, 16 October 2015

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

Asantehene is Amazingly Courageous

The seemingly unstoppable envious courage by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the "Overlord" of Asanteman, to bulldoze his way through Ghana's justice system is amazing. Unfettered by the recent disgraceful revelations of judicial corruption in Ghana, he is still pursuing his agenda of having his way in the Kumawu chieftaincy affairs through the exercise of his manipulating powers over the courts. In his mind's eye, he has absolute power over the courts, without any court in Ghana able to reverse his pronounced judgments on cases he adjudicates, regardless of any established associated instances of prejudices.

Despite there being credible evidence and established facts to the contrary, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II believes with absolute certainty that he can still have his way; gets judges to decide the Kumawu chieftaincy case in favour of him and, or his cronies – Kumawuhemaa and Dr Yaw Sarfo (the alleged Kumawuhene Barimah Sarfo Tweneboah Koduah). One may say it's possible only in his dreams. No, he is serious because in Ghana everything is possible. His mere position as Asantehene is more than enough to send cold chill down the spine of some judges, compelling them to be at his beck and call.

I would rather have Asantehene to own up quickly to his mistakes, swallow his pride, say sorry and then retreat from his pursuit of fleecing Kumawuman in such broad daylight under the probing eyes of the worldwide reading public than to continue to wallow in vain pomposity. The more he pursues his utterly selfish agenda bordering on criminality, the more he will suffer adverse revelations that will compound his predicament, rendering him weaker and disgraced beyond redemption.

To reiterate what has already been said elsewhere in my previous publications,

1. Asantehene has no prerogative under the Sun, the Moon and the Stars to nominate, appoint, select or enthrone anyone as Kumawuhene. The traditional and customary right to initiate any such processes of enstoolment and destoolment of Kumawuhene uniquely resides with Kumawu traditional leaders and the youth ("nkwankwaa").

2. Asantehene has no right of exercise of Overlorship on Kumawuman lands, people and property. He can exercise that absolute power only over himself but not even over his wife (Lady Lydia) and his child or children.

3. His behaviour as captured on video during his prejudicially-laden last attempt to enforce Dr Yaw Sarfo on Kumawuman as their Omanhene, an alleged one of course, was fraught with obvious absurdities with the potential to prove many of the Amanhene present as hollow-minded if not simply criminals with intent to breach the laws of the land with impunity.

4. If some Ghanaian judges are currently on suspension awaiting prosecution for involving themselves in acts of corruption, how can any judge who allows him or herself to be influenced by Asantehene to twist the truth in the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute hope to escape punishment in the end?

5. The fact that he was able to influence some Supreme Court judges to decide Election 2012 petition in favour of his "yen ntie obiaa" buddy as alleged, he should not think it is his right to command all judges and courts in Ghana to do his bidding all of the time.

6. By the horrendous decision taken by Asantehene as captured on video posted on YouTube titled, "Asantehene Involves in corruption" he had not only breached the Ghana Criminal Code 1960 (Act 29) but also, deprived, the true matrilineal descendants of Barimah Tweneboah Koduah I, the originator of the Kumawu Koduah Stool, of their birth right. Kumawuhemaa and her Ankaase family have no lineage, whether patrilineal or matrilineal, with Barimah Tweneboah Koduah I.

What is Asantehene doing with all the material wealth that he is acquiring through dubious means? Are his wife and himself happy about the repercussions of his deplorable actions, selling lands and pocketing the proceeds from areas where he normally has no right to exercise such powers?

I hope same as it is the view of God that he stays away from the Kumawu chieftaincy case. He has to stay away from Kumawuman lands and their money for he will only suffer disgrace without actually achieving his objective.

"Obstinacy is the cause of the horns of the hornbill" The earlier Asantehene becomes aware of the blunder he has caused, backtracks and apologises to all offended Kumawuman citizens, the better it will be for him. No matter how hard he tries, resorting to more criminal means, God will thwart his efforts to emerge victorious; he will rather end up as one of the corrupt judges caught red-handed by Anas Amereyaw Anas, the ace investigative Ghanaian journalist. Some of Anas' videos on the judges are already on YouTube.

Finally, all interested persons can by curiosity familiarise themselves with the contents of the following web link.

http://www.modernghana.com/news/646977/1/kumawuhemaa-aye-hot.html

I hope Asantehene will see the sense in this publication to only do the decent thing, pulls out of the Kumawu case half-bruised rather than to linger on until he gets totally singed, no, I meant to say burnt.

Rockson Adofo