No Violence Looms At Larteh…Ahenease Kingmakers Straighten Records

A source close to the Royal Aduana Abrade family of Larteh Ahenease has refuted claims that violence looms at Larteh in view of the recent destoolment of Nana Asiedu Okoo III as the chief. Briefing a section of the media, the source said the process that led to the destoolment and events that ensued afterwards were done in a peaceful manner, adding that there was no condition that could spark off any form of chaos in the area.

The source added: “And I can assure all and sundry that there will not be any violence from any quarters.”

Nana Asiedu Okoo III was destooled on August 2, after he had failed to complete all the required rituals he needed to perform to become the legitimate chief of Larteh Ahenease.

Larteh, a twin town, is made up of Kubease, which is the Kyidom Division of Akuapem, and Ahenease, the Benkum Division of Akuapem. The kingmakers in Ahenease are members of the Royal Aduana Abrade family, headed by Obrempong Enyineh Gyadu Nkansa III, who is the Akuapem Benkum Ankobeahene.

“The issue at stake was that when a chief is installed at Ahenease, he has to perform certain rituals before he is given traditional legitimacy, but when Nana Asiedu Okoo was installed he could not complete the entire rituals before the Akuapem cessation, in which the Benkum, Nifa and Adonten Divisions said they would not pay allegiance to the paramount chief of Akuapem Traditional Area. The kingmakers therefore decided to allow matters to settle down before ensuring completion of the rituals,” the source explained.

The source added that after several invitations to Nana Asiedu to come and complete the outstanding rituals had been ignored, the kingmakers saw his adamant posture as a complete disrespect for the elders. In July 2013, they therefore issued a 3-week ultimatum to him to complete the rites or be forced out of the stool. A week later the Akuapem cessation problem was resolved, with Peace Accord reached in August 2013.

Because he had disregarded the persistent reminders, through letters, for him to meet the kingmakers to perform the ritual, the other hurdle he was faced with was how to present himself to the paramount chief of Akuapem as the rightful chief of the Benkum Division. It is the Ankobeahene who has the mandate to present the chief to the Akuapemhene.

Nana Asiedu Okoo allegedly forged a document containing names of supposed kingmakers to give legitimacy to his installment as the chief and took the Larteh Kubease Ankobeahene with him to the Akuapemhene to perform the required rites.

“Surprisingly, immediately the rituals started, the Kubease Ankobeahene started bleeding from the nose, and if it were today we would say he had been attached by Ebola, and died moments while he was being rushed to Tema to see his doctor,” the source added.

The source added that in spite of the incident, Nana Asiedu Okoo went ahead to pledge allegiance to the Akuapemhene, against the traditional norms of the area.

“The kingmakers did not disrupt the peace process but allowed it to complete after which Nana Asiedu Okoo was invited again to meet his elders to complete the outstanding rites. On August 2, 2014, they held a meeting in which he was summoned to answer specific charges. The council of elders is made up of nine kingmakers and the six present at the meeting took a unanimous decision to destool him.

The necessary rites were performed and he was duly destooled in a peaceful manner. And because the stool could not be left vacant, the required rites were performed and the stool custodian, Nana Atta Kumi, was subsequently installed as the Regent and since then there has not been any problem in the area. It is therefore not true that there is confusion at Larteh,” the source concluded.

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