New Juaben Chief laments Council’s 'occult meeting'

The Krontihene of New Juaben Traditional area Bafuor Nyantakyi Tutu Boateng has questioned the basis for a secret virtual Traditional Council meeting held on December 18, 2020 and presided by Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Council, Dasebre Prof.Emeritus Oti Boateng who is currently outside the jurisdiction of Ghana.

In a statement released and copied to the Regional House of Chiefs, the Krontihene averred that “if truly, the aim was to minimize the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, then why did Nananom with others observers, all numbering about 22, gather at the Juaben Serwaa Conference Room at the Palace, where it was almost impossible to observe the social distancing protocol, to participate in the virtual meeting? Were they immune to Covid-l9?”

He added that “the cardinal contention here is that the potential subsequent and continual use of any form of synchronous/asynchronous video conferencing, surreptitiously in the name of Covid-19 protocols, to conduct meetings of the Traditional Council presided over by a President, who is noticeably absent from the jurisdiction and in effect unable to attend the meeting, will flout section 15 (3) of the

Chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759 which stipulates as follows: The President of a Traditional Council shall preside at meetings of the Council and where the President is unable to attend a meeting and the chief next to the President in seniority on the Council shall preside at the meeting”.

He cautioned that, such meetings if allowed to fester could be used to perpetuate customary infractions such as destoolment and enstoolments of none deserving chiefs without using laid down traditional procedures.

According to the Krontihene, Omanhene used the virtual meeting to once again sideline some key members of the traditional council including himself from the meeting.

“I am very much surprised that since November 2019, I have never been invited to any Traditional Council meeting, including the recent one held on 18th December 2020, I have verbally complained to you on many occasions, via telephone, on this issue and demanded for an explanation, but on all these occasions, you only chuckled off my complaints with the excuse that I should put my request into writing. I am, therefore by this letter, requesting you to furnish me with any tangible reasons”

He further stated that “from a reliable source, you always invite almost the same few member Chiefs to Traditional Council meetings. I do hope that the Traditional Council meeting, which is a statutory function, is not being turned into an occult meeting, since, for some time now, invitations are allegedly done in secrecy”.

He urged the Omanhene to perform his duties conscientiously and judiciously and guide the Traditional Council, so

that its actions do not fall foul of the Law.

” Let us remind ourselves that, anyone in charge of affairs, who closes his eyes to these legitimate facts and concerns being raised, will learn bitter lessons through legal accidents and casualties” .

The Krontihene of New Juaben Traditional council who is supposed to be second in command of the traditional council is challenging his exclusion from the list of divisional chiefs presented to the House of Chiefs by the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Dasebre Prof.Emeritus Oti Boateng.

His petition is still before the National House of Chiefs awaiting final determination.