b>Correspondence from Eastern Region
The Divisional and Sub-Divisional Chiefs (Asafoatseme) of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area in the Eastern Region have announced that they no longer recognize Oklepeme Nuer Annorbaa Sasraku II as Paramount Chief (Konor) of Yilo Krobo.
The chiefs have also declared a total boycott of the 2025 Kloyosikplemi Festival, accusing the Paramount Chief of abandoning long-held cultural, customary, and traditional values.
The announcement was made on Friday, November 14, 2025, during a press conference addressed by the Divisional Chief of Okper, Nene Anyeenorgu Teye Agor IX, who stated that the decision is final and irreversible.
According to him, the Paramount Chief’s continuous neglect of traditional responsibilities has undermined the spiritual and cultural foundations of Yilo Krobo.
In a strongly worded statement, the chiefs outlined several grievances which they say amount to taboo, neglect, and desecration of sacred institutions.
Neglect of traditional duties
The chiefs accused Oklepeme Sasraku II of abolishing traditional rites such as the pouring of libation, the use of schnapps and water, and the customary sacrifice of sheep during important ceremonies.
They further alleged that for the past 10 years, the Paramount Chief has failed to celebrate the Yilo Stool (Okotoblidja) – the sacred ancestral stool described as the “backbone of the unity and identity of Yilo Krobo.”
They cited a 2017 ruling of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, which required the Paramount Chief to remain in the palace to perform mandatory customary duties. According to them, his failure to comply amounts to contempt of court and a forfeiture of his legitimacy.
Claims of sacrilege
The chiefs also described as “taboo” the Paramount Chief’s pronouncements during the 2023 King’s Praise crusade, where he allegedly declared that any chief who performed stool rites would lose their firstborn child.
They argue that this constitutes a serious spiritual offence, comparable to a previous case in which an Asafoatse was destooled for similar misconduct.
Even more alarming, the chiefs claim the Konor destroyed the sacred Kuntu, an ancestral altar containing six gold bars and mineral deposits contributed by the six divisions of Yilo.
They allege the site was replaced with stones and anointing oil, severing the traditional connection between the people and their ancestors.
They say they will invite the Ghana Police Service to investigate the possible loss of ancestral gold.
Violation of installation rites
According to the chiefs, the Paramount Chief now installs linguists and queenmothers using pastors and anointing oil, contrary to the established customs. They say the sacred linguist staff is now being handled by pastors, weakening the spiritual authority of the palace.
The chiefs also accuse the Konor of transforming the Kloyosikplemi Festival into a Christian crusade, sidelining a seven-member planning committee earlier constituted by representatives of all six divisions.
Ultimatum and next steps
The chiefs have given the Paramount Chief’s family until 31st December 2025 to rectify the situation. Should they fail, the chiefs say they will appoint an Acting President for the Traditional Council, pursue criminal charges regarding the destruction of the Kuntu, and cite the Paramount Chief for contempt.
Emphasizing that none of the Divisional Chiefs will attend this year’s festival, Nene Agor insisted that the event has “lost all cultural relevance,” adding that the chiefs no longer recognize Oklepeme Anorbaa Sasraku as Paramount Chief.
“Henceforth, we no longer recognize him as Konor; we only know him privately as Tetteh Kofi Romeo,” they declared. “The time has come for Yilo Krobo to rise again.’
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