– Kumawuhemaa Regrettably biting her Fingers

Why has delay tactics become the flagship of our traditional leaders in conflict
resolution? Many are Ghanaians that have lost respect for, and confidence in, our
traditional leaders partly due to their shilly-shallying when it comes to resolving
chieftaincy disputes. The root cause of their dilly-dallying has almost always been
traced to the occurrence of some corruptible underhand dealings.


Anyway, let me get down to the nitty-gritty of today's write-up by avoiding any
needless prelude. First and foremost, it will bring smiles back onto the faces of
many that Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has regained his privileged title of
"King Solomon" with distinction. I am announcing this with pride. "Otumfuo Osei Tutu
II, Daasebre mo amu"


I have always said I will be the first person to praise Otumfuo whenever he lives
above reproach and also will be the first person to chastise him when he acts in
any doubtful manner. He is now proving himself beyond doubt. He then merits the
restoration and re-enforcement of the accolade "King Solomon", as initially
bestowed on him by Ghanaians in the early years of his reign. His bold performance
at the recent Asanteman Council sitting erring on the truth side has convincingly
dissipated that cloud of doubt that came to hover over his credibility as a fair
arbitrator.


Kumawuhemaa by virtue of her closeness to, and her own publicized libidinal
relationship to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had not only caused anxieties but intensified
the thickness of that cloud of doubt. She had all along made people believe that the
balance tipping in her favour was a done deal. How ignorant could she be upon all
God's revelations to the contrary? She trusted her relationship, money, social and
political connections to influence judgment in her favour. But little did she know
that her unpalatable royal history with tonnes of question marks to it was going to
give her away.


Otumfuo Osei Tutu II with Asanteman Council had earmarked 15th-19th November 2010 to
hear and deliver ruling on some chieftaincy disputes pending before the Council.
Some of the cases due for hearing are/were, Essumeja, Kumawu, and Fomena etc. The
Council started with Essumeja on Monday, 15th November 2010. Tuesday 16th November
2010 was skipped owing to the Eid al-Adha public holiday falling on the same day.
Essumeja's case was the only one able to be heard throughout the allocated dates. It
will come back on board on Thursday, 25th November 2010. Until the case of Essumeja
is successfully resolved all else are put on hold.


Interestingly, the Essumeja's case is going to be a catalytic precedent to resolving
all the follow-up cases. It will be recalled that after the demise of the late Nana
Oduro Animapau, the Essumejahene, almost a decade ago, the queen, Nana Adwoa Pokua
Nyankopon had resorted to same insatiably greedy, myopic and selfish tactics as
hatched and enforced by Kumawuhemaa. No wonder the elders say, " the birds of the
same feathers flock together". These two queens are buddies and have same question
marks over their eligibility as true royals of their current areas of jurisdiction.
I am not an expert on Essumeja issues and never desire to be so I had better steer
clear of them.


Otumfuo Osei Tutu II presided over the Council when it sat to hear the Essumeja
case. He made it clear to the Council he was going to stop at nothing to ensuring
only the absolute truth was established. He further declared that he will uphold to
the truth, and the truth only, as in line with his swearing-in oath. He seemed to
convey to the Council how he has wrongly been accused, lambasted and insulted for
the wrongful acts of other chiefs under him. It was about time the truth was told
without fear or favour, he asserted.


The interesting statement made which is worth noticing was, anyone or any family
under his jurisdiction that has mistakenly found themselves ruling any area which
they shouldn't have will be excommunicated from the throne. By this, the problems
giving rise to chieftaincy disputes will be curtailed drastically if not entirely
eradicated. He stamped his authority by the issue of this declaration. This is what
has won him my now unflinching admiration. I hope he will not backtrack on his
assumed path of resolute determination in search of truth to establishing perpetual
peace in Asanteman by licking back his vomitus.


However, some of his chiefs who find it difficult to extricate themselves from
corruptible or questionable acts have set the clock of truth back a week. In pursuit
of the truth, there will always be distracters. The chief of Kokofu has acted in a
way I will condemn as reckless and irresponsible. The issue of Essumeja could have
been decisively resolved had it not been the untimely intervention by Kokofuhene. If
it had, it would have been the turn of Kumawuman. Kokofuhene intervened to plead on
behalf of the queen. He requested that the queen was allowed a day to cogitate over
certain issues. This saved her from undesirable consequences of the hurtful fire of
truth spewing forth the mouth of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. This was on Monday, 15th
November 2010. When the Council reconvened on Thursday, 18th November 2010, thinking
Kokofuhene and the queen were coming up with something sensible, he rather pleaded
for the case to be postponed until Thursday, 25th November 2010. For what reason,
only Kokofuhene knows. But to many discerning persons it is another form of their
usual corruptible delay tactics.


I am highly disappointed in, and annoyed at Kokofuhene as his delay tactics for
whatever genuine or dubious reasons has a negative ripple effect on the hearing of
Kumawuman case. As long as the Essumeja case remains unresolved seeing that
Essumejahene is elder to Kumawuhene, Kumawuman's will never be determined regardless
how inconvenient and detrimental it is to her.
Kumawu is a shadow of its former self. It has suffered constant neglect and ruin
under the watch of the so-called Ankaase royals whose days as paramount rulers of
Kumawuman are numbered if Otumfuo's words are anything to go by. Are they not the
descendants of "AYO", that fair succulent damsel brought over to Kumawu from Ejisu?
Will the adored sex card in play save Kumawuhemaa and her Ankaase royals?


One wonders how and why it is always those who forcibly or illegally co-opt
themselves into a genuine ruling royal family that start to put in place structures
to usurp the throne for good. They find a means to eliminate the true royals through
juju killing, illnesses, threats etc. This very bizarre act is epitomized by
Kumawuman so-called Ankaase royal family with their "Sikadicious" insolent queen.


Kokufohene should please not seek to delay the Kumawuman case any further by way of
dubiously attempting to help Essumejahemaa clinch on to power. I don't want to see
the resurfacing of that proverbial "kokofu ball bo" here. The inhabitants of the
various areas have had enough of the insolence, greediness, selfishness and
incompetence of these queens who are living in the world of their own far removed
from the realities of modern day societies.


This year should end with Kumawuman having their God-send one installed as paramount
chief. Any deliberate attempt to slow down the process will not only incur God's
retribution but the anger of the oppressed. Could Kokofuhene please explain to us
what is meant by "Kokofu ball bo wo nua ni mu a yen pass ma wo?" The little I know
about this is, in time past the inhabitants of Kokofu were homogenous when it came
to playing football. One could be on the same side of a fielded football playing
team but if you were not related to whoever was in possession of the ball at a time,
forget it. The person will not pass the ball to you. He would dribble the ball
possessively even if it meant his other side opponents would retrieve it from him,
costing his team the winning goal. That was selfish and silly. That awkward,
selfish, destructive and anti-development philosophy has ruined Ghana. It is naked
nepotism which is antagonistic to good neighbourliness and national unity.
I am sure neither Kokofuhene, nor Juabenhene, nor Mamponghene will shameless seek to
intervene when it is the turn of Kumawuman as observed in the situation of Essumeja.
One may question why Asantehene did not override that plea seeing that it was
incompatible with his honest intentions. It has historical reason drawing its powers
from the foundations of the Asanteman. I will discuss this in future. Kumawuman
citizens have suffered a lot so woe betides anyone who for selfish reasons will seek
to deter the successful arbitration any further.


John Fosu