I act as lawyer for Abusuapanyin Edmund Ohene Asa Agyekum and Nana Kumiwaa Amgba, Head and Abrewatia respectively of the Nketiaah Royal Family of Akropong, one of the three ruling houses to the Ofori Kuma Stool of Akuapem Akropong, acting for themselves and the said family, and it is upon their instructions that I write.

My clients’ attention has been drawn to the petition above-mentioned on social media by some persons purporting to be the Mpakanfo (Divisional Chiefs) of the Akuapem Traditional Area, in which petition my clients and their family are accused of ignoring misconduct on the part of the Okuapehemaa. I have their instructions, and that of the Nketiaah Royal Family, to respond to the petition as follows:

1. The petitioners are not members of the Nketiaah Royal Family, nor are they members of any of the three royal houses, namely Nketiaah, Ama Ogyinae and Sakyiabia Royal Families, from whom any occupant of the Ofori Kuma Stool is selected, and thus have no locus to bring the said petition.

2. The current Okuapehemaa, namely Nana Afua Nketiaah Obuo II, hails from the Nketiaah Royal Family and was duly installed in 2017 after all customary processes had been followed to replace the deceased Okuapehemaa, Nana Dokua I.

3. It is trite that under the customs and usages of the Akuapem Traditional Area, it is the Queen Mother (Okuapehemaa) who selects and/or nominates the occupant of the Ofori Kuma Stool for enstoolment.

4. After her installation as Queen Mother, several issues, including legal suits, arose as to the installation of a new Paramount Chief. She, being Okuapehemaa, had earlier nominated and caused to be installed a chief, but her nomination and enstoolment of that person was held by the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs on 30th April 2020 in Suit No. JC/ERHC/P1/2018, intituled Lily Agyemang vrs Nana Afua Obuo Nketiaah II & Ors, and on appeal to the National House of Chiefs in Suit No. NHC/1/2/2020, Lily Agyemang vrs Nana Afua Obuo Nketiaah II & Ors, to be null and void and the stool declared vacant, as due process was not followed under customary law. The National House of Chiefs on appeal affirmed the directives and orders of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs that the process be conducted again by the Queen Mother.

5. That per the judgments of the House of Chiefs, the Queen Mother of the Akuapem Traditional Area is the only person clothed with the customary authority and/or duty to nominate a candidate from the Sakyiabia Royal Family to mount the vacant Ofori Kuma Stool as Okuapehene, and was so directed to conduct the entire process of nomination afresh. The petitioners are well aware of these judgments.

6. That since the orders of the National House of Chiefs, the Okuapehemaa has not selected and/or nominated any person for enstoolment as the Okuapehene, and as such any person parading himself as the Okuapehene is an imposter in the light of the judgments aforementioned.

7. The petitioners, under the laws and customs of the Akuapem Traditional Area, have no authority or locus to compel the Okuapehemaa to nominate a particular candidate for enstoolment as Okuapehene.

8. That under Akropong customary law, in the absence of an occupant of the Ofori Kuma Stool (Okuapehene), the annual festival of Odwira, which commemorates the historic victory of the Akuapems over the Ashantis at the Battle of Katamansu in 1826, all customary and/or traditional rites, rituals, and even the announcement of the dates for the celebration of the Odwira Festival are only done under the instructions of the Okuapehemaa (Queen Mother), who instructs the Gyaasefo, a team of sub-chiefs customarily assigned to perform all customs in preparation for the celebration of the Odwira Festival.

9. That the conduct and activities of the instant petitioners, jointly and severally, in purporting to plan and/or perform customary rituals regarding the celebration of the Odwira Festival without the authorization of the Queen Mother, in the absence of the Okuapehene, is contrary to the customs and traditions of the royals and people of Akropong.

10. That there being no Paramount Chief for the area, it is preposterous for the petitioners to accuse the Queen Mother of refusing to attend Traditional Council meetings chaired by one Kwadwo Kesse Antwi, who has been restrained by rulings of the courts from parading as Okuapehene and who has been convicted by the law courts for contempt for parading himself as Okuapehene.
(See The Republic vrs Lily Agyemang, Odeyhe Kwadwo Kesse Antwi: Ex Parte Nana Afua Obuo Nketiaah II, Suit No. D16/99/2020.)

11. That the Okuapehemaa has therefore not acted contrary to any known custom of the Akuapem Traditional Area, and we as a family cannot intervene in the circumstance for any alleged misconduct when there is none.

12. The petition therefore is a self-serving attempt orchestrated to demonize the Okuapehemaa and force her to accept the candidature of a person she has never nominated to be chief in accordance with the customs and traditions of the Akuapem Traditional Area.

I am finally instructed by my clients to notify the petitioners that we demand a retraction of the petition within seven (7) days of this letter, failure of which I am fully instructed to seek legal redress in the courts.

Yours faithfully,

Raymond Bagnabu.

And to:
1. Nana Gyan Kwasi II, Adontehene of Akuapem, Aburi
2. Nana Osim Kwatia, Gyasehene of Akuapem, Amanokrom
3. Osa Barima Asiedu Okoor, Benkumhene of Akuapem, Larteh
4. Nana Otutu Ababio, Ohene of Adukrom
5. Kwaku Aboagye, styling himself as Krontihene of Akuapem, Kyekrotia, Akropong
6. Abusuapanyin Edmund Ohene Asa Agyekum and Mrs Nana Kumiwaa Amgba, Nketiaah Royal Family House, Akropong.