Regional News of Wednesday, 8 November 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ofinsohene saga: Otumfuo to decide on fate of 11 royals from the Ashirem family

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (left) and Dr. K.K Sarpong Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (left) and Dr. K.K Sarpong

Correspondence from Ashanti Region:

Dr. K.K Sarpong's aim to become chief of Ofinso has been rejected by the Ashanti overlord, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

This follows an order by Otumfuo for the family to present new candidates from the royal Ashirem family during a sitting at the Manhyia palace on Monday, November 6, 2023.

During the sitting, royals of the Ashirem family who had shown interest in succeeding the late Nana Wiafe Akhenaten III, were listed.

An order made by Otumfour through his linguist, Kantinkirenkyi suggested that Dr. Kofi Kodua Sarpong was no longer part of the candidates since he was not a true royal. This was revealed at the sitting.

Meanwhile, 11 royals from the Ashirem family have so far been listed.

Otumfour Osei Tutu II was given a month to decide on the fate of the listed royals who had shown interest in kinship.

This comes at the back of a scuffle that occurred after the death of the Ofinso Manhene, Nana Wiafe Akhenaten III.

Dr. K.K Sarpong, who was initially appointed by the Ofinso queen's mother, was later rejected after several controversies surrounding his appointment.

In a related development, some aggrieved youth of Ofinso who described Otumfour 's judgment as an unfair one in a press conference vowed to stage against any other selected chief apart from Dr. K. K Sarpong.

Some kingmakers and elders at the Ofinso palace, who also described the action of the youth as taboo, cast a spell on them, adding that the palace elders had no hand in what the youth did.

The rejection of Dr. K. K Sarpong which has not been confirmed outrightly, gave some hope that there was the likelihood of his consideration, according to most of the Ofinso indigenes.

But during his sitting, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who was not happy with the hypocritic behavior of some of the chiefs, still maintained that he was neither going to put Asanteman stool on sale nor going to allow money to buy the truth.

"I know there are some hypocrites in your midst right now who have been pretending. There are some of you elders standing in front of me here who are part of all these evil agenda. I know all of you one by one", he said.

He further entreated the Ofinso residents to exercise restraint on the selection of their new chief; however, he selected the Gyaasehene and the Nifahene of the Ofinso palace to take care of the town until a new chief was chosen.