Need for Kumawuman to Break with Tradition

My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and the entire Kumawuman on the death of the paramount chief of Kumawu, Obarima Asumadu Sakyi II, whose reported sudden death occurred on Wednesday, 11 July 2007.

The resurgence of Kumawuman is in the offing with the passing of Obarima Nana Asumadu Sakyi II, their paramount chief perceived by many as the obstruction to peacetime socio-economic development of the area. However, their ray of hope can be delusional should they sit on their lap, twirling their fingers, thinking the mere regrettable passing of the king is enough to bring about a better chief, while refusing to get their voices heard in the selection process of a successor to the throne.

To delegate or leave the responsibility of nominating and choosing the next chief to the queen with the mere rubber-stamping or confirmation of the person of her choice by the kingmakers as tradition requires, will be very suicidal; likely to trigger dissent, concluding from recent past experiences.
There is the need for balance to avoid a similar situation that gave birth to the one time "Ya te Asem " faction that tackled the late Nana Obarima Asumadu Sakyi II, but woefully failed in their attempt to dethrone him when he misappropriated a huge amount of money, a payment of royalty by the Ghana government to the Kumawu traditional council for the use of their lands at the Afram plains. Hence, the entire Kumawuman people are duty-bound to ensure the people's chief, the one who identifies with the needs of the suffering poor masses; the one who is visionary and will endeavour to put Kumawuman back on the historic map of eminence through the mobilisation and utilisation of both the local human and natural resources to realise infrastructural development, create jobs for the people, is chosen. We need someone who will place the interest of his people over and above their personal financial insatiability, decadence, and egotism.
There are some Kumawu royal princes who are sauntering in sparkling clothes beating their chests, vaunting and maybe offering bribes to be the next chief, though had never in their lives identified with the suffering of the poor masses and may never do. Such callous people, who only delight in the title of kingship and the absolute appropriation of the benefits thereby accrued, should be resisted at all costs.
Kumawuman must break with the tradition where the queen has the prerogative to impose her choice of a successor chief on the people, on the death of a king. The people have been denied a quality leadership for far too long. Now is the opportune time to divorce from the two strange-bedfellow marriage where a few people, the queen to be precise, impose her choice on the people.
All stakeholders are invited to help choose a much caring person to lead Kumawuman in which case, the person should come from ANANAGYA, as the ANKAASE royals have abused the chieftaincy through monopolisation and corruption for far too long.
I invite both the rich and poor, especially Dr. Kwabena Duffour, Yaw Brenyah, Amoako a.k.a. Castro, Kwaku Owusu a.k.a. Alabama, alias Joe Fry, Kofi Sarpong a.k.a. one-man thousand, Kofi Nkrumah a.k.a. Okobo, the Kumawuman Association in, Accra, the U.K., America, France, Germany, Italy, and all the people of Kumawuman descent both home and abroad, to let their voices be heard to avoid having to sit with another "Ya te asem" situation sooner.
Long live the new King. Long live the king from Ananagya! May the soul of Obarima Nana Asumadu Sakyi II rest in perfect peace. And may the royal prince James continue to grow from strengthen to strengthen to defend Kumawuman from the excesses of the kings. Amen.