The truth is only one. There cannot be two sides to the truth as there is to a coin. It is either one is telling the truth, without the mention of absolute truth, or one is lying between their teeth. There exists no half-truth or half-lie. There is no mid-point between telling the truth and telling the lie. The wise saying then has it that, "It hurts to tell the truth but in the end, it brings comfort". To preside over the gradual but persistent social, political, and economic destruction of ones people and entrusted land area of administration is quite a woeful situation. What a pity felt for the citizens of Kumawuman who are uncomplainingly compelled to put up with the incompetence, callousness, and corruptible behaviours of their ruling royals. Should a warped mind opine it is not the duty of a chief or a queen to ensure the convenience of their subjects, and then also should it not be their prerogative to misappropriate public funds as it is obvious today in Kumawuman?

. Should one assume to have come across a treasure when discovered a stuffed black carrier bag lying anywhere outside homes on the ground in Kumawu especially, the person is rather doomed for the day. The person's singing of "Ade a mani na so me nsa aka" will shortly translate or change into," Ehen na me nfa nfa Onyame ...." It is nothing more or less then wrapped human excrement thrown away. It is a common sight at Kumawu. Defecation in the backyards and the nearby bushes is also an eyesore common occurrence giving rise to the recurrence of cholera and typhoid fever outbreaks. One then asks, what are the duties and importance of our traditional rulers or royals if they are that insensitive to the welfare of their subjects? There are not practically any public toilets in Kumawu nor are there enough home toilets. People are then forced to do exactly as described above. What a shame on the traditional rulers. Take a cue from Nana Otuo Serebour II, the Omanhene of Asante-Juaben. What a dynamic visionary ruler he is. I tip my hat to him for his noble achievement for his subjects. Nana, "mo ne yo".

The irrationality of the Kumawu opportunistic Ankaase royal family is so incomprehensible that they need to be told the truth about their real identity in relation to their fake royalty. The demonic propensity at which they manoeuvre to usurp power; arrogate to themselves undue prominence and wealth without regard for anyone but themselves, leaves me without any other viable option than to reveal their origin. Who at all are these perverted supposed-royals who in their panic-stricken state, have resorted to evilness to retaining the occupancy of the Kumawuman paramount throne? As a saying goes, "Spare the rod, and you spoil the child", the so-called Ankaase royals have been let off the hook for far too long to indulge in morally repugnant behaviours tantamount to committing crimes with impunity. For the past several years, they have disastrously assumed self edifying air of importance and superiority detrimental to the development and well-being of the area of their traditional administration. Should I, as a concerned dynamic citizen of Ghana continue to give them a leeway to inflict destruction on Kumawuman? No way! This is why I have prematurely emerged from my lair, shortening my intended length of months of hibernation. I have come to proceed with the good liberation fight to set the captives of Kumawuman free from the poisonous tentacles of not only the vicious queen, but also from the bestiality, usurpation tendencies and greediness of most, if not all, of the entire brain short-circuited and short-sighted Ankaase royals.

Revisiting my earlier publication, the forebear of the Ankaase royals, "AYO", was a jolly succulent damsel unfortunately purchased in those days as a slave girl from the Ejisu market. She was taken to the Kumawu royal palace to help with the house chores, serving in the capacity of a slave maid. She was a fair-coloured Fulani northerner with such attractive features appealing to any man with libido. Her beauty was such a huge centripetal force that attracted her into marriage with a Kumawu man. She then became the mother of many offspring. Asantehene, Nana Osei Yaw Akoto, was later to marry one of her offspring namely "Okomfo" Yaa Mansah. Yaa Mansah had a brother called Yaw Dabo, the first of the descendants of "Ayo", the present known Ankaase royal family, to ascend to the Kumawu paramount throne. It was by Yaa's connubial royal love that although hinging on slave descent, facilitated their eventual ascension to the Kumawu royal stool. He was allowed to ascend to the throne as a temporary caretaker. It was at the time that the Ananangya royals, the true occupants of the throne, had a problem finding a credible person of age to occupy the throne when the then chief demised.

Nana Yaw Dabo was full of malevolence towards the Ananangya royals. His wickedness towards them was without precedence; it transcends human understanding. His hatched idea of usurping the Kumawu royalty for good for his slave descents culminated in his personal supervision of the physical and spiritual extermination of the Ananangya royals. His mistreatment of the real Kumawu royals, in which case it is the Barima Tweneboa Kodua's matrilineal line, was more than they could cope with. They then decided to decamp to other parts of Kumawuman, especially Ananangya, hence, earning them the name the "Ananangya" royals. He was later to be dethroned simply for his catastrophic inhuman reign. The perpetuation of his evil animosity aimed at wiping out the Ananangya royals has always been pivotal in the minds of all the subsequent Ankaase royals ascending to the paramount seat.

The Ankaase royals by greed, have wielded monopoly over the occupancy of both the paramount chief's and the queen's seats for several years now. Those of the current generation who are without any knowledge of the Kumawu royal history may think the Ankaase people are the sole occupants of the Kumawu paramount throne. No, they are not. The real occupants are the Ananangya and the Odumase royals. For over the past hundred years, the Ankaase royals have been reigning with only a two-year or a few years interventional ingress by Barima Tweneboa Kodua IV, a.k.a. Nana Seth, from the Ananangya side. The last Ananangya royal to occupy the queen's seat was Nana Afua Sarpong. The Ankaase royals as usual, cast evil spell on her and she became mad. Although incapable of performing her functions for being mental, she never abdicated her post. She was rather compelled to have one Nana Abenaa Akyeamaah from Ankaase sit in for her. When Nana Abenaa Akyeamaah deceased several years later, the current insolent queen who now calls herself "Kanawu" was installed. She was selected by the late Barima Asumadu Sakyi II over another Ankaase royal now resident in Apedwa in the Eastern region, after he had had his palm greased with few pads of Canadian dollars. The defeated royal was the wife of the late Head teacher Osei of the then Kumawu-Abotanso Middle school who hailed from Apedwa. Barima Asumadu Sakyi II had before his death, confided in people his regret for choosing the current more corrupt and unaccommodating queen over the other mentioned lady. He never had peace with this queen who was always breathing down his neck trying to control him, being a known bottom-power control freak as she is. This was a dear price to pay by Barima Asumadu Saky II for being corrupt and insincere himself. He may have chosen the devil over an angel all because of money which he although mismanaged.

Back to my story, I stand to be challenged, corrected, or refuted, by whoever opines differently to my well researched narrative of the origin of the so-called Ankaase royal family. That most scary day anathema to the Ankaase royals is coming when the full story will be told at an Asanteman Council sitting. The queen's intransigence on still seeing the rather genuine "Ananangya" Barima Tweneboa Kodua's matrilineal line as slaves, but not her Ankaase kindred, upon which false claim an " Asantehene's Ntamkese" (Great Oath) was invoked, will finally culminate in the narration of the history of the Kumawu royalty. On that D-Day, it will be the winner takes all. Surely, there will be a victor that day. Vanquish shall wail. On that day their cries will resonate with echo through the mountainous enclave of Kumawu. A level ground has been prepared to offer all the contesting royal homes a fair play. They will each recount their stories as to how authentic their royalty in relation to the Kumawu paramount throne is. The fear of the anticipated disastrous performance by the Ankaase royals is boldly written on their wrinkled faces. The few Ankaase royals with intuition have already sensed defeat, but are rather acting stupid, putting up bold but ashen faces pretending to be the sole rightful occupants of the throne.

I am not even persuaded that the Ankaase royals are any proper Aduana people. They may not really be of the Aduana clan considering both their circumstantial northern origin and introduction into the Kumawu royal palace. Did their doubtful co-option into the royal home make them any true Aduanas? In the Asante tradition, one's descent as a clan member is reckoned exclusively in maternal line. But it should be noted that the Kumawu paramountcy is of Aduana base and those ascending to the throne without the requisite clan background raises an eerie eyebrow. Even if "Ayo" was originally of Aduana background of northern descent, she was not actually part of the proper ruling royals until the later developments of marriage with that cunning co-option. This fact though not relevant at this stage, is obvious to any Kumawuman citizen with their thinking cap on. The rather fake or usurper royals are now assertively claiming to be the sole occupants of the throne without any least regard for the matrilineal descendants of the famous Barima Tweneboa Kodua 1, that warrior king of Kumawuman who once saved the Asanteman. This erroneous claim based on utter display of historical ignorance by the sitting queen blinded by greed, is accorded an unflinching support by the depraved Krontihene. This Krontihene has sold his self pride for morning tea breakfast partaken at the table of the queen. He ascended the throne of Krontihene as a pauper three years ago. Since the death of the Kumawuhene, Barima Asumadu Sakyi II, coupled with his bizarre association with the once pugilist "Lady Tyson" but now self-prided "Kanawu"; he is now a rich man. He is as embezzler as the queen is corrupt. These are the two strange people now in control of Kumawuman. It is just unfortunate.

I am disappointed at the attitude of some once respected and learned Ankaase royals. They have acknowledged that the queen does not have a clue about the Kumawu royal history. Consequent upon the lack of such history knowledge, she has uttered and written statements not only relegating but also condemning both the rather more genuine Ananangya and Odumase royals as slaves. What will a rational person do when confronted with the reality of having erred in a sense or in ones public utterances? Instead of arranging to correct the error through some sort of pacification to the offended party or parties, the self-styled noble Ankaase royals are rather rallying in support of the queen. Rather than cluing her in on the history subsequent upon which the queen will seek forgiveness, they are egging her on to stick to her guns.

Does the collective annoying attitude of the Ankaase royals not emitting false signals within the Asante kingdom? The feat of Barima Tweneboa Kodua I, the ever famous Kumawuhene is known across the length and breadth of the Asante kingdom. Should his descendants be slaves as erroneously and stubbornly being asserted by the queen with the Krontihene and the Ankaase royals, then God save Kumawuman? Is it not similar to saying, Osei Tutu I and Yaa Asantewaa of known prowess or bravery in the Asante expansion wars with their descendants are slaves? The three known cardinal Asante warriors of royal descent are Osei Tutu I of Kumasi, Tweneboa Kodua I of Kumawu and Yaa Asantewaa of Ejisu. Let this be known to the historically-deficient minds within the Ankaase royals with the queen inclusive.

In their outward show of solidarity and boldness, there are perceived signs of cracks and weaknesses within their very being. They are gripped with fear. They are panicking. They are trembling like the leaves of a mighty tree come under the "north-easterly wind" or gale. In their complete confusion, they have sought to hide behind one "Akua Wurukye" from the Kumawu Etia Adomako Pim's family. This lady has been worked up by the queen through the advice of a supposed intelligent Ankaase royal to do their dirty tactical work of delaying the hearing let alone, giving a ruling to the said invoked "Asantehene's Ntamkese" on the Kumawuhemaa. Wurukye in her accusatory statement submitted that she is rather the bona-fide occupant of the Kumawu paramount throne but neither the Ananangyas, nor the Ankaases, nor the Odumases. And that she by prerogative offered the queen's throne to the current Kumawuhemaa on a silver platter. She buttressed her contention with the invocation of the "Asantehene's Ntamkese" on both the Ananagya and the Odumase royals on one hand, and the queen on the other. The Head of the Ananangya royals refuted Wurukye's assertion with a counter oath. The queen of Kumawu kept her silence. If "silence means consent", then she agrees with the claim of Wurukye offering her the throne.

What really nauseates me is to hear the supposed brightest Ankaase royals go about confiding in their closest associates that they will do whatever is within their ambit or power to forestall any enthronement of a Kumawu paramount chief for the next ten years. Their reason being, with such a lengthy time lapse, the Odumase and the Ananangya royals will have tired physically and financially drained to egress from the contest for the throne through self- implosion. This nonsense of the highest calibre goes to tell how wicked is the path assumed by the Ankaase royals to keeping the throne for good though as northern invaders as they are. As the Almighty God lives, their evil intentions will fly in their face, catching them unawares.

Those traditional heads empanelled by the Asantehene to sort out the Kumawu chieftaincy issue are please entreated to speed up as their dithering is doing the Kumawuman folks more harm than good. The area is currently without any credible traditional direction but the uncaring one offered by both the detestable nonchalant queen and the insatiably corrupt Krontihene. "Do unto others as you will have them do unto you", my only advice to the empowered panel in whose hands lie the fate of Kumawuman..

John Fosu