Mayhem at Asamankese

The peaceful atmosphere of Asamankese, capital of the Lower West Akim Municipality in the Eastern Region, is likely to be disturbed today if the national security apparatus fails to intervene, DAILY GUIDE has gathered.

Reports indicate that a clan called Abrade Royal family of Asamankese has raised concerns over the enstoolment of the new Asamankese chief, Osabarima Adu Darko III, claiming that he is not from the royal family and, therefore, could not installed as the chief of the town.

DAILY GUIDE learned that the Abrade Royal family had petitioned the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council, the Lower West Akim Municipal Chief Executive, George Mensah Akpalu and the area police commander to wade into the matter and stop the proposed outdooring ceremony today to prevent any bloodshed.

Barimah Poki Asomaning, the Aworasahene of the Abrade Royal family who was against the chief’s installation on Sunday, told journalists at a media briefing that his outfit would create confusion if the police failed to intervene to stop the outdooring ceremony.

The Aworasahene asserted that after the death of the late Asamankese chief, Osabarima Kwaku Amoah III, the kingmakers decided to nominate a royal to replace him as it is always done.

According to him, the Asamankese queen mother Obaapanin Akosua Birikoramaa, Barima Kwame Ofori, Baffour Otibu Darko and Obutu Frimpong, without any consultations with the Abrade family and the kingmakers, went ahead to install one Kwaku Obeng – who is said to be the biological son of the queen mother – as the new chief of the area.

Barima Poki disclosed that he went to the Koforidua high court to place an injunction on the installation and the matter was sent to the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area judicial committee for settlement, but the queen mother ignored it and went ahead to install his son as the chief.

The Aworasahene hinted that the high court had begun hearing the case for committal for contempt from 25 March, this year. However, the queen mother had purportedly hanged banners and pasted posters to announce the coronation and outdooring of the chief.

Meanwhile, the Aworasahene has indicated his outfit’s willingness to accept any verdict that might come from the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area’s judicial council.

Before the installation of the new chief, the queen mother is said to have appeared before the high court and denied that her outfit had installed a new chief.

Attempts by DAILY GUIDE to speak to the Queen mother at press time proved futile as her phones were off.

The paper’s sources hinted that the two factions had concealed some guns and other weapons for a showdown during the outdooring ceremony today.