...Inventory The Valuables of Kumawu Palace Before……..

Things that were once kept secret are unfolding at an overwhelming crescendo. This has necessitated giving this publication the title, "Unfolding secrets about why Asantehene refused to inventory the valuables of Kumawu Palace before the purported enstoolment of Dr Yaw Sarfo as Kumawuhene"

For the reading public to better understand this publication, I shall entreat them to read it in conjunction with a previously published write-up by me on Ghanaweb on Thursday 6 November 2014, under their Feature Articles titled, "Is Asantehene Indeed Above the Law?" I am sure same publication can be found on Modernghana and Spyghana.

In the said publication, I stated among other things that "Tradition demands that before the ascension of a chief-elect to a stool, and after their death, the items of the palace must be inventoried". I queried why Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was adamant about illegally imposing Dr Yaw Sarfo (a Saudi Arabia-trained Medical Doctor) on Kumawuman as their paramount chief (Omanhene) without due process of generalised Asante, and particularised Kumawu, tradition, custom and usages.

As readers have been referred to that publication which questioned the integrity of Asantehene, following his resolute determination to have his own despotic way, despite the fact that there is no longer any existing absolute monarchy in Ghana but Limited/Constitutional Monarchy, I will not dwell on repeating myself here. However, I will quickly proceed to narrate the recent developments with regard to the inventory he deliberately refused Kumawu before the purported enthronement of Dr Yaw Sarfo.

After colluding with Kumawuhemaa (queen) and the Asanteman Council to dubiously enstool Dr Yaw Sarfo as Kumawuhene, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II then ordered the stocktaking of Kumawu Palace properties. Now, "the chickens have come home to roost".

As I love explaining things to the understanding of my readers, let me expound on the proverbial statement "the chickens have come home to roost". It means "the consequences of doing wrong always catch up with the wrongdoer" or "You have to face the consequences of your mistakes or bad deeds". The figurative use of the idea was implied by Robert Southey in 1809, when wrote, "Curses are like young chickens, they always come home to roost" (The Curse of Kehama).

Strong rumours and allegations doing rounds in Kumawu have it that on the death of Barima Asumadu Sakyi II, the late Omanhene of Kumawu, the underlying-mentioned persons stealthily availed themselves of the valuables (jewellery) of the Palace due to his death creating a temporary supervisory vacuum at the palace.

They are, Nana Yere Gyaamah, Kumawu Saanahene, Kumawu Gyasehene and Kumawuhemaa. There is coming a day, not too far away, that these individuals may have the platform to tell their side of the story, either to confirm, or to deny, the reality of the rumours. Some people believe this is the reason why Nana Yere Gyaamah has teamed up with one Abenaa Nyarko, Kumawu-Wonoohemaa cum Kumawu Akwamuhemaa to persistently be on the move consulting traditional spiritualist (juju men, fetishes) to ensure that Barimah Tweneboah Koduah V, never emerge victorious over Barimah Sarfo Tweneboah Koduah in their battle of "who is the legitimate Kumawuhene?"

If that is the intention of Nana Yere, then she has failed well in advance, for Barimah Tweneboah Koduah V is of matrilineal lineage to Barimah Tweneboah Koduah I, the originator of the Kumawu Koduah Stool. Dr Yaw Sarfo and Kumawuhemaa are not in any way related to Barimah Tweneboah Koduah I.

The rumours are boldly associating Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II with the massive misappropriation and theft of Kumawu Palace jewellery. It is alleged that when he realised the palace people, not the ordinary attendants, but the close and once trusted core members were expropriating the valuables for their own greed, he joined the loot.

He ordered Kumawuhemaa to take the rest of the jewellery to him for safekeeping, the rumours allege. This was a laudable idea but what happened, that is the question to ask? Were the valuable antiques not taken to Norway to be sold? The allegedly Manhyia Palace jewels that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II got stolen from him in Oslo, Norway, are said to be indeed the property of Kumawu Palace. They were not stolen but sold, so the rumours go.

Until the rumours and allegations as hereby stated are officially confirmed as true in the coming days or weeks, I shall ask readers to debunk them; however, I have pertinent or hypothetical questions to pose.

1. Why did Otumfuo Osei Tutu II obstinately refuse to order the inventorying of the Kumawu Palace property in spite of the persistent prodding to get him into taking the stock before the enthronement of whomever, as Kumawuhene? 2. Does he know that stocktaking of Palace property is done BEFORE, but not AFTER, the installation of any incoming chief/king-elect as Omanhene? 3. Why did he order the inventorying of the Kumawu Palace property soon after his collusively untraditional enstoolment of Dr Yaw Sarfo as Kumawuhene? 4. Was it to hide from Kumawuman public the diminished state of Kumawu Palace property through purposive thievery as alleged? 5. On the death of any Omanhene (paramount chief), a fellow Omanhene is nominated or selected to supervise the inventorying of the Palace valuables of the deceased Omanhene. Why is it that in the case of Kumawu, Otumfuo rather tasked the Okyeame (linguist) for the Akyeamehene (Chief linguist) to oversee that duty? Has he not by his action demeaned the Kumawu stool? 6. Could he make it available to Kumawuman public the list of the items in the Palace as per his doubtful inventory carried out after the purported enthronement of Dr Yaw Sarfo as Kumawuhene? 7. Is it true that the alleged thief in Oslo, the one who robbed Otumfuo was not a thief but a genuine jewellery dealer/broker? 8. Could Otumfuo please publish in pictures the list of items of jewellery allegedly stolen from him or from his team while in Oslo?

In future, the occasion may require that we publish the entire list of inventoried items handed to the late Barimah Asumadu Sakyi II before he ascended to the Kumawu Koduah Stool, and the one done by Asantehene after Dr Yaw Sarfo, the alleged, but unrecognised, Kumawuhene, attempted to ascend to the same stool.

The truth will out. As long as God lives and continues to be Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, whatever is hidden will be unearthed. It may take time, but the true colours of all those sabotaging God, as long as the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute goes, will be known and exposed.

Asantehene by his own actions that are seemingly bordering on greed has exposed himself to ridicule. If he had connived with Dr Yaw Sarfo and Kumawuhemaa to conceal the loss through intentional thievery, of Kumawu Palace valuables from the public, has his action plan not failed? The truth has started creeping into the public domain if the rumours are anything to go by.

It will be in his best interest to pull completely out of the Kumawu stool dispute to do only what tradition and custom permit him to do as the Ceremonial Head of Asanteman. This is my only cogent advice to him but the choice is his.

As long as "kekrekekre" has not stopped, "kukrukukru" will not cease either. Do I not seem funny when I do not bother translating certain Twi words and phrases employed in my publications into English? No, I want to make popular and famous the Twi language. By my method, curious minds will research the meanings of the words and phrases.

The fight to liberate Kumawuman rages unabated!

Rockson Adofo