NANA OTUMFUO, WHY IS THE OYOKOHENE NOT DESTOOLED ?

Nana Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. has destooled 2 Chiefs namely Atwimahene and Abrafohene for insurbordination and illegal selling of Stool lands. The Oyokohene is not only selling stool lands for his personal interest but also hiring Machomen to killing natives who dare to intercept. The Otumfo is aware but yet still the Oyokohene is still the Oyokohene. 2 natives of Atwima - Koforidua have been killed by the Land Guards and Machomen of the Oyokohene but the Otumfuo is still not doing anything about it

Article from Modernghana.com :

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu (Destools Atwimahene)

In November 1998, Ghanaians were hit with horrifying news of the gruesome murder of two of the nation's finest police officers by land guards at Ablekuma. The two officers, Jerry Wornoo alias Taller, of the Police Striking Force Unit, and Richard Owusu Sekyere, alias Kweku Ninja, of the Police Academy and Training School; were murdered in cold blood when they went to erect pillars on a piece of land they had legally acquired.

The murder of the two policemen eleven years ago has now receded into history but the murderous activities of land guards still remains a challenge prospective land buyers have to grapple with. Land guards seem to have now become an acceptable phenomenon in our society, especially in the cities and big towns where land is very scarce. These are thugs who are usually hired by landowners to protect their land before and during construction works. Most land guards are usually armed with offensive weapons, which accounts for the bloody clashes and loss of lives at construction sites anytime they are confronted.

A critical look at the situation however reveals that what actually promotes the business of land guards is the multiple sale of land, which is fast gaining notoriety in recent times. All manner of persons, including traditional rulers who are custodians of the land have found this illegal business very lucrative, and anyone who legally acquires a parcel land with all documents intact must either hire thugs to protect the site or prepare to battle it in court it with one or more persons also with legal documents.

It is for this reason that the recent destoolment of the Chief of Atwima, Nana Kofi Agyei Bi, must serve as a lesson to other chiefs engaged in this nefarious activity. The chief was accused by twelve people of multiple land sales, which led to his destoolment after the case was heard at the Manhyia Palace.

. Article from Modernghana.com :

Anou Abrafuohene (Otumfuo’s Chief Executioner) destooled The Anou Abrafuohene,(Otumfuo’s Chief Executioner) Nana Kwaku Antwi Baah II was yesterday destooled for flouting the orders of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene at sitting of the Kumasi Traditional Council.

The Chief Executioner was accused of disobeying the orders of Otumfuo. He had been warned not to encroach upon the lands of Apemhase/ Atwima to allocate plots thereof to prospective development.

Quite unfortunately he never respected the words of Otumfuo which are, by Asante custom law and continue to encroach the lands of the Akyempimhene, Gyasehene (Buabasa), etc and sold about 300 plots and appropriate the proceeds to himself.Nananom considered the offence committed by the Anou Abrafuoheneas grievous and deserved to be destooled. In destooling the Anou Abrafuohene Otumfuo said it was not his intention to arbitrarily destool any chief whose attitude would cost a slur on his kingship will never be spared.As custom demands, Otumfuo gifted the destooled chief to Nana Osei Kwame II, Teteremhene.

Article from Modernghana.com :

WHAT IS THE OTUMFUO SAYING ABOUT THE OYOKOHENE'S (KUSI) LAND GUARD AND MACHO MEN SHOOTING AND BUTCHERING THE NATIVE OF AKROFROM IN ATWIMA - KOFORIDUA OVER THEIR LAND WHICH OYOKOHENE WANTS TO SELL FOR FOR HIS PERSONAL INTEREST.

RESIDENTS OF AKROFROM in Atwima Koforidua, Atwima Nwabiagya district of Ashanti are living in constant fear, as they are afraid of being killed or maimed at the least provocation by a land guard.

The land guard was hired by one of the parties in a local land dispute. The sordid situation is as a result of a bad blood between the Oyokohene, Nana Agyekum Kusi and the Odikro (caretaker chief) 42-year-old Nana Kwadwo Gyapong Adusa, alias Kwame Owusu, who was enstooled Odikro of Akrofuom on April 8, 1997, who claims his overlord (Oyokohene, who holds the lands in trust for the Asantehene) has suspended him from exercising his functions as Odikro.

The odikro complains that the Oyokohene has suspended him from exercising his functions as Odikro because he had dared to enquire about what percentage of proceeds generated from stool lands is due the Akrofuom stool, after the Golden Stool and the Oyokohene had had their share.

The Oyokohene, known in private life as David Kusi Collins, commonly known as DKC who ran the now defunct Doska Construction Company, is accused of hiring the "killer" (Land guard) in the person of one Kwaku Nkrumah, who has been armed to guard the stool lands and therefore terrorizing and meting out atrocities of different shades to the people.

Reports reaching The Chronicle indicate that Kwaku Nkrumah's duty is to 'shoot and kill' any body who comes near the said stool lands without the express approval of the Oyokohene. Since 2000, about 3,500 plots of land are said to have been sold arbitrarily by the Oyokohene without the involvement of the Odikro.

FRANCIS TAWIAH ( Duisburg - Germany)