‘Otumfuo can’t destool me’

The embattled Aduanahene of Kumawu Traditional Area, Nana Agyekum, says Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu Ababio has no power to destool him, because he does not directly swear an oath of allegiance to him.

According to him, as an Aduanahene, he swears an oath of allegiance to the Kumawuhene and that if anything at all it is the Kumawuhene who can destool him, after going through the due process.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu announced to Asanteman at Manhyia Palace recently that he had destooled the Aduanahene and others who failed to accompany the then Kumawuhene elect, Dr. Yaw Sarfo, when the latter came to swear an oath of allegiance to him.

But Nana Agyekum told Oman FM in Accra last week Thursday that Abusuapayin Kwaku Gyekyei of Odumasi Aduana Royal family of Kumawu and Opanyin Kwabena Kodua, Principal members of Ananayaadiana royal family of Kumawu, had filed a motion for interlocutory injunction against the enstoolment of Dr. Yaw Sarfo.

According to him, the motion had been served on five out of seven defendants, which also include Oumfuo himself, yet they went ahead to enstool Dr. Sarfo as Kumawuhene.

He noted that as a law abiding citizen he could not have accompanied Dr. Yaw Sarfo to the Manhyia Palace when the latter went there to swear the oath of allegiance to Otumfuo, knowing every well that a motion for interim injunction had been placed on the entoolment itself.

On October 17, 2014, the Human Rights Division of the High Court in Kumasi dismissed a motion for orders of ‘certiorari’ and prohibition filled by Opanyin Kwaku Gyekyei and others, challenging the respondents’ attempt to install Dr. Yaw Sarfo as the new Kumawuhene.

The same day, the applicants appealed to the Court of Appeal in Kumasi, to review the orders of the High Court.

The applicants followed it up with application for interim injunction against Nana Serwaa Amponsah, Kumawuhemaa and Dr. Yaw Sarfo, which was filed on October 20, 2014.

But despite the pendency of this motion, the defendants still went ahead with the entoolment ceremony.