Offinso residents storm destooled queen mother's house, demand for new chief

The belief that the Offinso queen mother, Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko, has been destooled by the Asante overlord, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, looks very alien to some residents of the area, as most of them have stormed her house to demand a new chief.

The Asantehene formally destooled the queen mother over subordination in January 2024.

Chanting for a new chief for the Offinso traditional area, most of these aggrieved residents demanded that Dr. KK Sarpong be made the chief, as he was initially introduced by the kingmakers.

Most of these residents, who wore funeral clothes to portray their seriousness and sadness over the claim of 'no chief in the town', chanted, "We want our new chief, K.K. Sarpong".

In a video post by ASIASE TV, the aggrieved residents were captured singing and chanting "Ofinso Hemaa, yeegye yen hene, Kurontihene, yeegye yen hene, Abusuapanin, yeegye yen hene," which means, "Queen mother and her elders, we want our new chief."

Amid the blowing of horns and singing of songs to demand a new chief, some youth were also captured in a video along the streets of the Offinso township, chanting for a new chief.

Some residents spoke to journalists in an interview, and said: "Recently, we saw the Offinso manhemaa and her elders choose Dr. K. K. Sarpong. But a few weeks later, we can't see anything, and we don't understand what is happening.

"We've been waiting for him to come and help develop Offinso, and we know he is capable of developing and providing jobs for the youth. Day in and day out, every youth cries for Dr. Kofi Kodua Sarpong to become the Offinso chief; we know no one apart from KK."

"He is the one we know the queen mother has chosen. Even now that he has not been installed, there are lots of things he's done. Currently, as I speak, he's catering for my children's school, and there are many others he's doing the same for," another resident said.

Most of the interviewees lamented that, since the death of the late Nana Wiafe Akenteng, the town lacks development.

Following their exit from the queen's house, the aggrieved residents and some members of the Ahyirem Royal Family stormed the home of Nana Kwabena Agyeibi Obeng, a representative of the Ahyirem Abusuapanin, to demand clarification.

One of their demands was about the whereabouts of Dr. KK Sarpong.

Nana Agyeibi Obeng, who spoke to the media, assured the aggrieved residents that he and his elders were going to do everything possible to bring back Dr. KK Sarpong.

He, however, commended Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko for still insisting that Dr. KK Sarpong was the right person for the stool.

He promised to support what he sees as a good cause by the queen mother, which is to make Dr. K.K. Sarpong the chief of Offinso.

Background:

Dr. Kofi Kodua Sarpong was initially elected by the Ofinso queen mother, Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko, and the other kingmakers to succeed the late Nana Wiafe Akenteng, but he was disqualified by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for not being a royal.

A new chief, Nana Amoako Poku, has since been enstooled by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. This occurred after the Kwakwaboa Abusuapanin, Opanin Yaw Nkrumah Adusah, assumed the queen's mother's responsibility in her absence and presented the new candidate.

During the installation of the new chief, there were rumours that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had destooled the queen mother of Offinso for failing to honour his invitations.

However, the action taken by these aggrieved residents raises the notion that the queen mother is still at the post.

Some of these residents who spoke to journalists disclosed that they never witnessed the queen mother being destooled.

TWI NEWS