...As Anglican priest takes seat in Western Region House of Chiefs

The hullabaloo surrounding the nomination and enstoolment of Rev. Chico Morgan, an Anglican priest, as the Omanhene of Wassa Fiase traditional area were brought to an end last Monday, following his official admission to the Western Regional House of Chiefs.

With this new development, Rev. Chico, now under stool name Osagyefo Kwamena Ennimil VI, has become the substantive Omanhene of the Wassa Fiase traditional area, having earlier had his name recorded in the register of the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi.

Before Osagyefo Kwamena Ennimil VI was admitted to the house, he was escorted to a shrine at the regional house where a libation was poured to signify his official admission to the house.

He was then escorted back to the chamber, amid drumming and dancing in addition to the display of rich Wassa Fiase culture.

The acting President of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council, Nana Kwadu Brenpong, who introduced the new Omanhene to the house, said following the death of the former Omanhene, a new one was installed in 1994.

He told the house that following a protracted dispute that arose over his enstoolment, he could not be brought to the house for him to be accepted as the Omanhene for the traditional area.

Nana Brenpong further told the house that somewhere in April, this year, a Sekondi high court found the Omanhene, whose enstoolment was in dispite, guilty of contempt and sentenced to a number of days in prison.

This, he continued, necessitated the nomination of a new chief and Osagyefo Kwamena Ennimil became the lucky one. Also admitted to the house the same day under tight security was Nana Gyambrah, the new Omanhene of Chirano in the Bibiani Anhweaso Bekwai district.

Nana Gyambrah's admission to the house was delayed for some time due to a motion that was served on the house by an interested party who had engaged the new Omanhene in a legal battle.

After a heated debate, the counsel for the house finally advised that his admission to the house could go ahead.

The counsel argued that the motion should have rather been served on the National House of Chiefs who empowered their regional counterpart to admit Nana Gyambrah into the house.

Addressing the two new chiefs in the form of advice later, Nana Agyefi Kwame, the Omanhene of Nsein traditional area, said it is about time the National House of Chiefs started doing something before journalists, most of whom are not royals, destroyed the institution of chieftaincy in the country.

The outspoken chief told his colleagues that a section of journalists in the country are trying to let the world believe that it is a taboo for a priest or pastor to be installed as chief.

"In other words what they are trying to tell us is that when you want to see Satan, go to the institution of chieftaincy," he added in Fanti.

Nana Agyefi Kwame made special reference to Rev. Apostle Kwamena Arhinful, who, he alleged, used his column in the Mirror to attack Rev. Chico Morgan and the chieftaincy institution for accepting to become a chief.

He cautioned that should the National House of Chiefs fail to heed to his advice that journalists who write negatively against chieftaincy institution would be destroyed in no time.

He also advised the newly admitted paramount chiefs that the royalties which are going to be paid to them by the government are not meant for personal use but for the development of the traditional area.