BY EDMUND QUAYNOR

The whole of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area was thrown into a state of mourning last Saturday when the "Atumpan" drums in the Ofori Panin Fie, the Palace of Okyenhene at Kibi sounded to formally announce the death of Osagyefuo Kuntunkununku II, Okyenhene and President of the National House of Chiefs. Even as the Atumpan drums sounded in the court yard of the palace, the acting President and Adontenhene of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council Osabarima Kene Ampaw was announcing the death of the Okyenhene to the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council at a meeting at the Great Hall of the Palace. As soon as the Atumpan drums sounded, female members of the Royal family who had gathered at the inner court of the palace and those at the Traditional Council meeting started wailing. After several appeals to those at the meeting to control their emotions failed, some of them were escorted out of the meeting hall to enable the meeting to continue. In accordance with customary practice, Osabarima Ampaw presented six rams and 12 cartons of schnapps for customary rites. The Okyenhene turned his face to the wall in the dawn of Wednesday, March 17 this year at the 37 military hospital after a short illness at the age of 57. He was the 34th occupant of the Ofori Panin Stool and ruled for 23 years. He left behind a wife and six children from three previous marriages. The first two children were born before his enstoolment on August 2, 1976. The other four children including a set of twins were delivered during the 23 years rule of the departed occupant of the Ofori Panin stool. The late Okyenhene was known in private life as Dr. Alexander Kwadwo Fredua Agyeman. After his primary and secondary education in Ghana, he went to Sofia University in Bulgaria and Charles University in Prague, former Czechoslovakia where he studied medicine graduating in 1970 Osagyefuo Kuntunkununku who succeeded his illustrious uncle, Nana Sir Ofori Atta II in 1975 was elected President of the National House Chiefs late 1998, a position which gained him automatic membership of the Council of State. He was for two terms, President of the Eastern regional House of chiefs and member of the Region's Co-ordinating Council. The reign of the late Okyenhene witnessed an increase in the number of educational institutions in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area. The Atiwa constituency of the traditional council which hitherto had no second cycle institution saw the establishment of the Kwabeng Anglican Senior Secondary School, Akyem Sekyere S.D.A. Senior Secondary School and the Anyinam Saint Paul's Vocational Institute. The Abuakwa Constituency also saw the establishment of the Akyem Asafo Senior Secondary School, Kyebi Technical Institute and the Kyebi Vocational among others. Economic activity was also enhanced with the establishment of numerous gold mines in the traditional area during the reign of the Osagyefuo. The late Okyenhene never took kindly to the environmental problem created by the gold mines. In 1995, he visited the Kwabeng Goldenray Mining Company to ascertain for himself complains of the people of Kwabeng and surrounding villages about the pollution of water bodies in the area as a result of the surface gold mining of the company. The Osagyefuo would forever be remembered for his elevation of a number of Odikros (care takers) to Paramountcies late last year. Unconfirmed sources have it that if the late Okyenhene had stayed longer, he would have elevated more of the Divisional chiefs in the traditional area to Paramount status and enhance his position as a King or over-Lord of Akyem Abuakwa.