Nana Topen Siriboe
THE NEW Juaben Youth Association has described as outrageous a publication in DAILY GUIDE by the solicitors of Daasebre Prof (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben.
The report quoted the solicitors as saying that kingmakers in the traditional area begged Daasebre Oti Boateng to become the Omanhene after Nana Topen Siriboe was disqualified from taking the position by the PNDC government.
In a statement issued in reaction to the July 18 publication, the association said such a public statement implied that there was no other qualified person from Koforidua who could have been installed as the Omanhene.
Signed by Nana Annor Boateng II, Nseniehene of New Juaben and spokesperson for the group, the statement noted it was not true that Odehye Topen was totally disqualified to become the Omanhene.
The association explained that a committee of enquiry was set up by the PNDC government in 1992 to ascertain whether a chief in confinement could be disqualified according to the customs and traditions of New Juaben and whether the chief-elect, Nana Topen Siriboe was guilty of any such misconduct to warrant his disqualification.
It added that the committee did not specifically bar Nana Topen from becoming chief and that the recommendations made by any commission were no longer binding on the affected person after 10 years following the publication of a White Paper.
“A person shall not be considered to be disqualified to hold a public office if (a) 10 years or more have passed since the date of the publication of the White Paper on the report of the commission of inquiry or (b) the person has been pardoned,” the association said reiterating that the committee’s adverse findings against Nana Topen was published in January 1993 and therefore cease to have any effect on him.
The group also explained that the government’s intervention in the New Juaben chieftaincy issue at the time was allegedly carefully orchestrated by Daasebre Oti Boateng to pave the way for him to become the Omanhene after allegedly influencing the majority of the kingmakers to pass a vote of no confidence in the newly-elected chief.
“It is interesting and important to note that at the time of setting up of this committee of enquiry, Daasebre Oti Boateng was the government’s statistician whose profile had been published by the Weekly Spectator some days before Oko Yaw Acheampong’s conspiracy which finally led to Nana Topen’s disqualification.”
The association said that it is now clear that Daasebre Oti Boateng has lost the popular legitimacy among the chiefs and people in the area and that the majority of these kingmakers and chiefs including Oko Yaw Acheampong who led the campaign against Nana Topen are all against him.
It therefore called on the Omanhene to answer the allegations of arbitrarily creating parallel stools and fighting chiefs that he sees as a threat to his rule and stop hiding behind his so-called solicitors to deceive the public.
From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Koforidua