Nana Yaw Annor Boateng II (middle) flanked by some chiefs
The eleven sub-chiefs in the New Juaben Traditional Area in the Eastern region, who recently led a demonstration against the Omanhene of the area, Prof (Emeritus) Daasebre Oti Boateng have hit back at the Traditional Council, which came out last week with a press release to say that the allegations raised by the group against the Omanhene were completely unfounded.
At a press conference in Koforidua on Tuesday, the spokesperson, Nana Yaw Annor Boateng II, who was flanked by majority of the chiefs, said the traditional council itself is under the ‘armpit’ of the Omanhene, who has authorized the rest of the members to come out with the release to question the rationale behind the demonstration without addressing the pertinent social-cultural issues raised against him.
“Ladies and gentlemen at the Akwasidae on June 26, the Omanhene described us as cowards and our demonstration as a foolish venture and insulted the conscience of chiefs and people who took part in the demonstration,” Nana Annor Boateng said adding that instead of Daasebre Oti Boateng addressing the problems on the ground he is putting salt into injuries of disenchanted royals, who are being suffocated under his ‘autocratic’ and ‘one-man’ show.
According to the chiefs, after the gross disrespect shown by Daasebre Oti Boateng, he has turned round to invite them to a traditional council meeting which was occasioned by the demonstration.
They said the three-member committee, set up by the Traditional Council for a possible redress is not acceptable per tradition since the Omanhene, who is naturally the head of the Traditional Council, could exploit it to his advantage.
“The channel of redress, which in our case is the chain of command within the chieftaincy institution in New Juaben has been broken down and utterly destroyed simply because the Omanhene fear the unity of his chiefs hence his divide and rule tactics to sow a seed of mistrust among the divisional chiefs and the sub chiefs,” the spokesperson indicated.
The spokesperson, who is the Nseniehene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, said the traditional council does not have a standing committee let alone a judicial committee or sub-committee to redress very serious traditional and social issues.
Nana Yaw Annor Boateng, who gave the history of the New Juaben Traditional Area, said if Daasebre Oti Boateng claims that there are no true royals who come from Koforidua then he does not know the history of New Juaben, stressing that even though Juabens, who settled in the Eastern region, have alliance in blood with those in the Ashanti region they do not owe them any oath of allegiance.
“The political history of this town shows that New Juaben belongs to residents of New Juaben and Old Juaben people seen as our senior brothers,” he said.
He said two of the four sisters, who have lineage to the Old Juaben stool, decided to stay in Ashanti region while the other two chose to stay in New Juaben in the Eastern region.
“Nana Ama Bonsu and Nana Yaa Amponsa, who later became Nana Yaa Daani I chose to live in New Juaben while Nana Akosua Kyem where Daasebre Oti Boateng traces his lineage and Afua Serwaah chose to live in Old Juaben Ashanti,” he said.
He said Daasebre Oti Boateng cannot say that he has developed Koforidua because as the capital of the Eastern region, it is the government that has invested so much to bring Koforidua to the status of a regional capital.
“It is through the generosity of New Juaben people both at home and abroad as well as some corporate organizations that the palace which he has failed to occupy was renovated and not by Daasebre himself as he had told the whole world,” he said stressing that the government and the regional house of chiefs must act now for Daasebre to address the necessary grievances of majority of the chiefs in the traditional area before something bad happens.
From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Koforidua
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