Trouble brews at Adantia

Sunyani (B/A), May 5, GNA - Nana Sae Frimpong, Chief of Adantia in Sunyani Municipality, on Friday appealed to Nana Kwame Korang, Paramount Chief of Awuah Domase Traditional Area, to hold back plans to enstool a new chief to replace him until the Judicial Committee of the Regional House of Chiefs finally settled a dispute between them. The proposed destoolment ceremony is scheduled to take place at Adantia next Monday.

Speaking in an interview with Ghana News Agency (GNA), Nana Sae expressed his disapproval about the way the Paramount Chief was overstepping the boundaries in a matter that was before the Judicial Committee.

Kingmakers at Adantia including Nana Gyan, Krontihene; Nana Kofi Yeboah, Gyasehene; Nana Kwabena Gyan, Akwamuhene and Nana Akosua Dankyi,

Queenmother, have preferred a catalogue of charges against Nana Sae before the Paramount Chief.

The allegations include his refusal to introduce the Queen mother to the Omanhemaa of the Odumase Number Two Traditional Area as custom demands; citing lack of funds to convey her to the Omanhene since her enstoolment four years ago.

Nana Sae said another charge was that he refused to release part of the stool lands at Misaasum, Adantiano, Bisiano and Sreso to the Queen mother to farm as custom demanded but had rather chosen to give the parcels out for cultivation on crop sharing basis.

The Chief said he was also accused of failing to give monies given him by the Omanhene to be distributed amongst the Adantia sub-chiefs. He described the charges as "completely baseless, wild and unfounded and calculated to tarnish his image and a desperate attempt to bring his 32-year old reign to public ridicule".

Nana Sae explained that at a meeting convened by the Traditional Council on February 16, 2006 to discuss a report from the Judicial Committee he was asked to slaughter 12 sheep and provide 12 bottles of schnapps for going against the norms and customs of the land. He condemned the action of the Queen mother whom he said acted on the instructions of the Paramount Chief and incited the people to slaughter a sheep to signify his destoolment. He said since he had taken the case to the Regional House of Chiefs the Paramount Chief and his elders could be cited for contempt if they went ahead to install a new chief on Monday. "As far as I am concerned I am the gazetted Chief of Adantia. I have all the documents supporting my claims. I was enstooled on December 12, 1974", he stated.

Nana Sae appealed to the Regional Police Commander to restrain the Paramount Chief and his elders from carrying out the exercise on Monday or any other day. When the Ghana News Agency contacted Nana Akosua Danky, Queen mother of Adantia, she confirmed that the Adantiahene had sold a parcel of the stool lands without the prior concern of the Paramount Chief and his elders, the Queen mother and the people of Adantia. She said the Paramount Chief instituted the Judicial Committee to hear proceedings brought before it and impressed on the Traditional Council to impose a fine of 200,000 cedis, 12 sheep and 12 bottles of schnapps for going against the norms and customs of the land and proven insubordination. The Queenmother said she had slaughtered a sheep to destool the chief. 5 May 06