Kyebi, May 13, GNA - The Judicial Committee of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has ruled that Osabarima Oware Asare Pinkro III, Apinamanghene, has no right or authority to install the Odikro (Chief) of Kobriso. The committee, therefore, ruled that it cannot accept Apinamanghene's candidate, Owusu Bosompem, as the legitimate Odikro of Kobriso.

The three-member committee, chaired by Osabarima Kwame Tia, Adesawasehene, entered judgement in favour of plaintiff Opanin Kofi Aboagye and Opanin Kwabena Awuah, who represented the Kwadwo Okoto royal family of Kobriso. The defendants were Osabarima Pinkro, who gave the power of Attorney to Nana Asumadu III, Abusuapanyin of Apinamanghene and Opanin Owusu Bosompem, the purported Odikro of Kobriso. The committee said that Owusu Bosompem, a citizen of Apinamang, was not a royal of the Kobriso stool and could not claim to be as such let alone Odikro (Chief) of the town. The committee ordered that Owusu Bosompem's installation as Odikro of Kobriso should be declared null and void and that he should vacate the palace of Kobriso and hand over all stool properties if any to the Krontihene after all the necessary customary rites had been performed.

It ordered the defendants to pay GH¢5,000 as cost to the plaintiff and held that the petitioners (plaintiff) were the legitimate royal and elders of the Kobriso stool, and as such at liberty to nominate, elect and install a chief of Kobriso. The case had been pending before the Judiciary Committee since October 19, 2009.

The committee noted that when the occupant of the Kobriso stool, Nana Kwabena Bio, died somewhere in 1935, two royals claimed the stool, which brought a hot 93uprising' at Kobriso. The then Okyehene, Nana Osei Ofori Attah, on hearing the news ordered that in order for peace to prevail at Kobriso, the Apinamanghene should appoint a regent for the town until tempers calmed down after which other procedure should be followed. The committee said it had been established that since 1935 till date only regents had been appointed to oversee the affairs of Kobriso as ordered by Nana Ofori Attah and the Apinamanghene was not mandated to make any nomination, election or installation of Odikro of Kobriso. "The Okyehene in his wisdom considered that in the order of seniority and hierarchy Apinamang came before Kobriso that was why Apinamanghene was asked by the Okyehene to appoint the regent and not for the reason that the Kobriso land belongs to Apinamang". The committee said the Apinamanghene had never been a king maker of the Kobriso stool since its existence.

It had also been established that the black stool was still with the plaintiffs who were the original occupants of the Kobriso stool. The defendants in the course of proceedings admitted that they did not have the black stool on which libation was poured during sacred days. 13 May 11