Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has destooled the Paramount Chief of Kenyase No.2, Odeneho Dadeako Kwabena Nsia Ababio (Nana Kwabena Nsia Ababio), ending his 89-year reign on the stool. He is now 110-year- old
The dramatic destoolment happened at the Manhyia Palace on Monday, when the Asantehene sat in Council to hear the long-standing dispute between the Chief and his Paramount Queen, Nana Akua Tinkwamaa.
CASE BACKGROUND
It was the Paramount Chief himself who took the Queen Mother to Manhyia.
He accused Nana Akua Tinkwamaa of gross insubordination and filed 10 charges against her. Among his claims were indiscriminate sale of stool lands, unauthorized appointment of sub-chiefs, destoolment of some sub-chiefs without approval, and the use of land guards in the traditional area.
THE QUEEN’S STRONG DEFENCE
But when given the chance to respond before Otumfuo and the Asanteman Council, the Queen Mother denied all the charges and turned the case against the Chief.
1. She told Council that the land sale the chief accused her of was actually done at the chief’s own request.
2. She accused the chief, his wife, and some members of his council of forging documents and selling stool lands illegally behind her back.
3. She stated that all the chiefs she was accused of destooling were still at post and could be verified.
4. She made a more serious allegation: That the Chief himself had violated Asante tradition by creating unauthorized new stools and allotting them to his own relatives.
5. She reported to Otumfuo that she had been deprived of all her traditional financial benefits and had been threatened, making it unsafe for her to even stay in Kenyase No.2.
OTUMFUO’S VERDICT
After listening to both sides, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who presided over the Council, delivered a stunning verdict.
The Council found no merit in any of the 10 charges the Chief brought against the Queen Mother.
Instead, the counter-claims made by the Queen against the Chief were found to be substantive and true.
Otumfuo heavily criticized the Chief for his untraditional conduct, especially the unauthorized creation of stools, which is a taboo in Asanteman.
In his declaration, Otumfuo said:
“Violating Asante traditions cannot be spared. Your reign ends now.”
THE DESTOOLMENT
With that pronouncement, the 89-year reign came to an end.
In line with Asante custom, the chief’s traditional sandals, abatoɔ, were removed from his feet. A ram was immediately slaughtered to seal his destoolment, signifying that he is no longer a chief but a commoner.
The hammer did not end there. Otumfuo also destooled nearly all the kingmakers of Kenyase No.2 who had violated their oaths to the Golden Stool and followed the chief in his wrongdoing.
Only the Kontihene of Kenyase No.2 was spared.
Some linguists who had been wrongly sacked were also reinstated by Otumfuo to support the Queen Mother.
AFTERMATH
The Council has reinstated Nana Akua Tinkwamaa as the legitimate Paramount Queen of Kenyase No.2.
Otumfuo has instructed the remaining kingmakers, led by the Kontihene, to assist the Queen Mother to steer the affairs of the Kenyase No.2 Traditional Area until a new Paramount Chief is enstooled.
The destoolment of Nana Kwabena Nsia Ababio, who was enstooled in 1937 even before Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was born in 1950, marks the end of what is believed to be the longest chieftaincy reign in Asanteman and Ghana.
It also reinforces Otumfuo’s long-standing principle: In Asante, no stool is above custom, no matter how long you have sat on it.
Alexander Afriyie, supervising editor, ghanacrimereport.com and ghanatalk.com