BARHCs admits ‘Omanhene’ of Berekum after 18 years dispute

By Dennis Peprah/Sarah Ankamah-Yeboah,
GNA 

Sunyani, Sept. 14, GNA – The Brong-Ahafo
Regional House of Chiefs has admitted Daasebre Dr Amankona Diawuo II, the
Paramount Chief (Omanhene) of Berekum Traditional Area, as a member of the
House.

Daasebre Diawuo II, from the Berekum Asokore
royal family and known in private life as Dr Leonard Ofori, is a medical
practitioner with many years of professional experience.

He was installed in February 2001 to succeed
Nana Yiadom Boakye II, his late uncle but since then the House had not admitted
him because of a protracted dispute which emanated between the Asokore and
Asekyere families, the two royal gates of Berekum.

In December 13, 2017, the Supreme Court passed
a verdict on the dispute which had lasted for 18 years in favour of the Asokore
family and paved the way for the swearing in of Daasebre Diawuo II, who is a
Surgeon at the Sunyani Regional Hospital.

Prior to the Supreme Court (SC) ruling, the
Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs had earlier delivered
judgment on the matter in favour of the Asokore royal gate, but the Asekyere
gate filed an appeal against that ruling at the SC.

At its 2018 second General Meeting in Sunyani,
Justice Ananda Aikins, a High Court Judge in Sunyani led Daasebre Dr Diawuo II
to swear the oaths allegiance and secrecy whilst Pimampim Yaw Kagbrese V, the
President of the House, administered the membership oath.

Pimampim Kagbrese, who is the Paramount Chief
of Yeji Traditional Area in the Pru East District, expressed worry over the
perennial chieftaincy and land disputes in the region, saying as at January
2018, there were 50 cases of chieftaincy disputes in the region.

They comprised 47 petitions and three appeals,
he said, adding that in the course of the year four additional petitions and an
appeal were filed, bringing the total cases to 55.

Pimampim Kagbrese said the Judicial Committee
of the House has been able to dispose off 12 of the petitions, thus reducing the
number of cases to 43.

He said most of the cases pending before the
House resulted mostly from misunderstandings during enstoolment processes of
the chiefs, adding that the litigations has adversely affected membership of
the house as there were 17 vacant stools now.

Pimampim Kagbrese V said the Standing
Committee of the House has devised strategies to ensure expeditious reduction
of cases and has also adopted proactive measures to resolve
rifts/misunderstandings during enstoolment process to prevent legal tussles
between rival claimants to the stools.

Earlier, the chiefs and people of Berekum
carried Daasebre Dr Diawuo II, who was in traditional regalia, in a palanquin
and paraded through the principal streets of Sunyani amidst traditional
drumming and dancing.

It was extremely hectic for the Police to
control human and vehicular traffic, particularly around the Sunyani Technical
University area of the road.

GNA

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