The Aburihene Nana Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II has reiterated that persons parading themselves as chief do not meet the criteria for the selection of chief for Nsawam.
Chieftaincy tensions have been heightened in the Nsawam traditional area and its environment following the installation of two rival chiefs who have claimed ascendency to the Nsawam seat.
Speaking to myrepubliconline.com via phone about the teeming tension, Aburihene Nana Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II, who also serves as the Adonteng of Okuapeman, expressed his worry about the situation and assured that his outfit would sternly look at the issue and address it.
According to him, the matter has been referred to the Chief of Brekusu to address the concerns of each faction.
“I’ve spoken to the Chief of Brekusu and Nana Opare Kwafo. If I know they have given it to someone, we will just allow the person to exercise his mandate. I haven’t been to Nsawam, I’ve heard that someone wants to perform rituals but I’ve told Nana Opare Kwafo to halt everyone’s activities.
The first time they met, they called the one who was first installed (Kwame Takyi) but as for the second one, they haven’t called him. I told them to let him halt everything he’s doing because the issue is at the settlement stage and if they allow him, he will have the free will to do whatever he’s doing and what I feel will help us is the best way to fast – track how we’re handling the matter. I will also warn the Nsakyer clan to desist from holding themselves up since we’re resolving the matter“, he stated.
The royal occupancy of the area, Nana Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II revealed that, in 1968, a reconciliation was made due to some mishaps that occurred regarding how the royal families would be able to have fair access to the rulership of the stool. He said a decision was made to choose chiefs from all three royal gates.
“In 1968, some issues happened within the family, in the same year, a reconciliation was made that chiefs would be chosen from all the three gates in that order but as for Nsawam, the issue was different but it’s the same family.
What happened is that the Fotobi clan (the Awo Amene descendants) who were not given access to the Aburi rulership forced Nana Osae Gyan to hand over the Nsawam traditional area to control. So in that period, when they were made part of the royal gates, they were the occupants of the Nsawam traditional area, therefore, we decided that, since they had been made part of the larger family they could not handle the Nsawam traditional area alone.
A consensus was reached for all the three same royal gates to have access to the throne when available. At that time, the chief of the area was Queenmother Nana Osae Kuma who died in 1996. After her demise, we haven’t been able to install another occupant because her descendants (the Awo Amene clan) wanted to regain control of the rulership while we’ve made provision for the throne to circulate among the three royal gates“, he indicated.
However, Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II affirmed that the current rightful occupant of the Nsawam rulership should have automatically come from Nsakyer, one of the three royal gates.
“If you look at the rotation clearly, it should have been automatically given to the Nsakyer clan because both Fotobi and Nsakyer have all been made occupants of the rulership in the past. A son of one of the eldest was made the caretaker of the stool and that wasn’t an outright rulership of the area.
When the Agyementi people came to meet me and raised their concerns, I told them to meet the Nsakyer people and when it’s time to rotate again, then it goes back to them again. However, the Nsakyer clan told me they had found someone who was first sent around the area before the Agyementi Queen-mother also brought in Kwame Takyi. In the course of the mishaps, Odwira festival was closer so I told them to hold on, so we can find a way out to know where it should go. However, the Agyementi clan forcefully installed Kwame Takyi without informing anyone.
You see, I don’t understand when the Agyementi clan say the stool belongs to them, it’s not their turn yet. Both of them are not royals. The Nsawam rulership is in such a way that the offspring of royals are chosen for the area. Unlike Aburi, where the offspring of a Queen-mother are made chiefs of Aburi, Nsawam is different. Nsawam was for the offspring of a male – royal, even with that, the occupant must be an offspring of someone who has been a chief before because they don’t have any royalties in Aburi therefore, they are being given Nsawam as their royal area“, he added.
The Aburi chief admitted that, well, Nana Kwame Takyi’s father has been a chief and was royal but did not become the chief of Aburi; therefore, both of them do not qualify to become the chief they parade themselves to be.
“Well Takyi’s father (Nana Kwame) was a royal and he was a chief, however, he did not become the chief of Aburi, therefore none of them qualifies to be the chief because the other faction also does not have his father become chief of Aburi.
“That’s the reason why we were asking them to hold up so we come back to address the issue after the Odwira, yet the Agyementi rushed to install their suitor because they claim to have heard that the Nsakyer clan had decided to install theirs but that issue shouldn’t come in because what shows Nsakyer installed their suitor? You (Agyementi clan) first went to Nsawam to install Kwame Takyi without seeking a permit from the police and that’s the reason why they were arrested. I’m from Nsakyer but I’m not biased towards the Nsakyer people, that’s why I’ve handed over the issue to the eldest to handle and once they are done, I can only give my blessing. What we intend to do is that, at the end of the day, we must be able to resolve the issue. Frimpong lemme tell you something, until anyone pays homage to me as the rightful and accepted occupant by the kingmakers, none of them can hold themselves as the chief of Nsawam. What I see is that, when they engaged Kwame Takyi, he stopped holding himself the chief of Nsawam but the other (Solomon Adu Gyamfi) has been going on with his activities“,
However, Nana Otoobour Gyan Kwasi II has assured that his outfit will make all the available efforts to ensure that the issue is resolved amicably.
“I’m assuring you that if nobody is brought to me and pays their homage, nobody can become the chief of Nsawam so therefore, the kingmakers will make their decision and the person will be brought to me for all the necessary rituals to be done”, I he affirmed.
