There’s a brewing tension revolving around chieftaincy rulership in Nsawam, one of the towns in the Okuapeman traditional area.
For the past 20 years and over, the Nsawam traditional area has been vacant without a chief.
Background
On 18th October 2023, customs and traditions were performed to install Mr. Ohene Kwame Takyi, a lecturer at the Methodist Health Training Institute in Afosu, as the rightful custodian of the Nsawam Royal stool.
After the traditions were being performed and bearing the name Nana Osae Mensah I, the new chief ought to have been kept in a secret room for seven spiritual days.
However, there was a twist and turn last Monday, October 23, 2023, when one Solomon Adu Gyamfi, per our findings, was forcefully installed again by the Aburihene, Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II.
This development has brought misunderstanding and confusion among the royal gates.
According to an insider who disclosed the information to myrepubliconline, the Aburihene Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II who also doubled as the Adonteng of Okuapeman is said to have approved Mr. Ohene Kwame Takyi who now bears the name Nana Osae Mensah I as the rightful custodian of the Nsawam royal seat.
It is said that Mr. Ohene Kwame Takyi whose father, Nana Kwame Takyi has been the Adehyehene for Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II and per their traditional rules, a royal who qualifies to be made a chief must have his father being a chief before and mother having come from Okuapeman land or being an Akan. In this instance, Nana Osae Mensah I (Mr. Ohene Kwame Takyi) is more than qualified to ascend the Nsawam seat as Chief.
It is also established that the three Royal gates which forms the Mukasa (Three Royal Families) namely the Fotobis, Nsakyer have all had their descendants ascend the Nsawam or Aburi stool leaving the other royal gate Agyementi behind which has never had the opportunity to serve any of the thrones under the royal gates.
It’s also understandable that a meeting had been going on for the past two years to find someone befitting for the Nsawam royal seat with the Aburihene Nana Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II who upon several recommendations approved Mr Ohene Kwame Takyi (Nana Osae Mensah I) to be made the Nsawam Chief because he qualifies.
Our findings established that Nana Osae Mensah I had performed all necessary demands made by the Aburihene who in turn, directed him to see the kingmakers for the necessary rites to be performed.
However, our findings have also revealed that the Aburihene had given the go-ahead to another person who, per our sources does not have his mother come from Okuapeman and father being a chief before.
Reacting to the development in an interview with the Republic Press, Nana Osae Mensah I on Wednesday, October 25, admitted having heard that another chief has claimed ownership of the Nsawam royal seat.
However, he warned the self-acclaimed Chief who is said to have used land guards to install himself as Chief to desist from using the name of Aburihene Nana Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II that he Otoobour made him the Nsawam Chief.
“Its been one week since I was installed as the Chief of Nsawam. Well if you ask me, as far as I know, and per the Aduana Ablade family, I’m the rightful custodian of the Nsawam royal seat. I’m the Chief of Nsawam, we’re going to fix Nsawam.
For clarity’ sake, Aburihene does not hold the ultimate power to install a Chief. The traditions state that we make a king for a king, therefore, a king does not make a king. Its the Mukasa (the three Royal gates) and the Queenmother who makes a king. The Aduana Ablade Mukasa who ascends the throne of Aburi and serves as Adontenhene of Okuapeman owns the Nsawam lands, they are the rightful custodians of Nsawam. History tells us that our relatives from the Ekubadu royal family (the Nsakyer people) have ascended the Nsawam royal seat for three times, and the Amene royal family from Fotobi have also ruled for three consecutive times but for us at Awogyaa Agyementi have never taken rulership of the Nsawam stool.
Therefore, consultations were held, and it was concluded that a royal whose father had been installed a chief before and his mother was an Akan should be made the Chief of Nsawam. The Agyementi people were therefore directed to look for someone befitting enough to ascend the throne. Before my father became the Adehyene, he was the regent for Aburi palace after Nana Osae Ntifu who was the then Aburihene had gone into exile.
Nana Kwame Takyi acted as the Aburihene until 1988 which later brought in Aburihene Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II. Prior to that, due to the rules regarding the three Royal gates, Nana Kwame Takyi passed on the Aburi rulership to Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II in 1988 marking his 35th anniversary on the Osae stool.
We had gone to Aburihene Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II, we told him the royal gates had appointed me to take the throne of Nsawam, he approved it and as customs demands, I performed all necessary demands made by the Aburihene Nana Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II, he then asked me to see the kingmakers for the necessary rite’s to be performed.
The Aburihene told me to inform our Family head to ensure that all the necessary rituals are performed and last week Wednesday, October 18, all rituals were performed, and I was given the name Nana Osae Mensah I.
I’ve sent a message across to Nama Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II which I know very soon, he will respond.
I only got here one Solomon Adu Gyamfi has been installed chief of Nsawam, and he’s peddling the name of Aburihene Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II as the one who made him the chief.
I’m by this medium refuting this claim that Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II made him Chief because my father Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II knows that a king does not make a king but rather a king is made for a king, and he also knows that the guy in question’s mother is a Krobo woman therefore he’s not qualified to be a Chief. I do think my father Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II will do anything as such.
Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II during his 30th anniversary told government officials to desist from interfering in Okuapeman chieftaincy matters, and so I know he won’t do anything as such.
Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II told me he does not know Solomon Adu Gyamfi. He said his brother in Koforidua brought him to install him as chief but told him he can’t be made a Chief.
There’s no chief in Nsawam apart from me” he said.
However, reliable information has also revealed that the Aburihene Nana Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II demanded a substantial amount of money from the self-styled chief Solomon Adu Gyamfi which was paid after making traditional demands required from the rightful custodian Mr. Ohene Kwame Takyi who now bears the name Nana Osae Mensah I, the chief of Nsawam, therefore bringing a feud between these two personalities.