I am still Omanhene - says Odeneho Akrofa II

Odeneho Akrofa Krukoko II, Omanhene of Wassa Fiase has stated that he is still the Omanhene of the area and that he has not been destooled.

He told a press conference in Accra that the purported enstoolment of one Rev. Chico Morgan as paramount chief of Wassa Fiase who has styled himself as Osagyefo Kwame Enimil VI, is null and void.

Odeneho Akrofa said he was properly nominated, elected and enstooled as such on the 24/06/94 and same gazetted on 27/12/96 in the Local Government Bulletin.

He said it is therefore a deception of the public and the world at large for any person to claim that he is the Omanhene of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area.

He said that since his enstoolment there have been some machinations by some of his detractors and some disgruntled individuals to have him destooled without preferring any charges against him.

This culminated in the filing of petitions and injunction against him by some individuals challenging his enstoolment at the Western Regional House of Chiefs.

These petitions which were never heard have since the May 18, 2002 been discontinued against him without any reason.

"Even though these petitions and injunctions filed against me at the Western Regional House of Chiefs were neither heard nor moved, the High Court Sekondi convicted me for contempt on April 19, 2002 and sentenced me to 14 days imprisonment without the option of a fine."

The said conviction is the subject matter of an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

Odeneho said his ignorant detractors thinking that the conviction for contempt was a panacea for destoolment purported to destool me and enstool another person as the Omanhene, he educated his detractors to correct the erroneous impression that a chief is not destooled automatically once he is convicted of any offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

The fundamental law of the land, i.e. the 1992 Constitution makes it clear under Art 275 the kinds of convictions which disqualifies a person as a chief.

It provides as follows: "A person shall not be qualified as a chief if he has been convicted for high treason, high crime or for an offence involving the security of the state, fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude."

Following the "purported enstoobment" of the said Rev. Chico Morgan, he filed a petition and a motion for interim injunction on the 13/06/02 at the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs Sub nom. Odeneho Akrofa Krukoko II. Nana Ahena Gvedua II vs.

Rev. Chico Morgan aka Yaw Ofori, for a declaration that the purported enstoolment of Rev. Chico Morgan is null and void and an order for injunction restraining him from holding himself out as a chief which petition is to date pending at the Western Regional House of Chiefs.

Odeneho said it is therefore very surprising and indeed an abuse of the rule of law and contemptuous that despite the pendency of the three petitions at the Western Regional House of Chiefs the said Rev. Chico Morgan was admitted to the Western Regional House of Chiefs as the new Omanhene of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area on October 28, 2002.

"It is indeed saddening to note that an institution such as the chieftaincy institution which was in time past most revered, cherished and sacred should now be the subject of ridicule, scorn and contempt and be used by some wicked, malicious, selfish and corrupt individuals to get through the back door what they would not have achieved through the front door."

In another development the Asomankese royal family of Benso Wassa, have sent a petition to President J. A. Kufuor to investigate the Wassa Fiase chieftaincy affair.

The petition signed by members of the family, including Nana Esi Atobrah, acting queenmother, said matters they want to be probed include the "brutal 14 days imprisonment of Odeneho Akrofa Krukoko II by a Sekondi High Court judge, Mr. Justice Sanyo Dzamefe, on contempt of court; The unconstitutional and uncustomary installation of Rev. Chico Morgan, an Anglican priest and nephew of Odeneho Akrofa Krukoko II by Kwando Brimpong III (then acting president of the traditional council), Kwadu Kyerfo II (also one time acting president of the traditional council) and others; and circumstances leading to the Tarkwa police investigating the breaking through of the door of the Royal Mausoleum at Benso by Kwandoh Brimpong III, Kwadu Kyerfo III, Nana Kwesi Akorosa and their accomplices.