President Akufo-Addo commends Drobo Traditional Council

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commended the kingmakers and entire members of Drobo Traditional Council for the quick and peaceful manner in the nomination, selection and election of successor to their late paramount chief.

He lauded the Council and the elders of the two royal gates, the Bosea and Adinkra families of Drobo for promptly and peacefully collaborating to identify and settling on a candidate to ascend the royal Sakyiako Stool of Drobo in such a unique way.

The candidate whom the Ghana News Agency (GNA) investigation reveals is a Planning expert succeeds Beyeeman Bosea Gyinantwi IV, known in private life as Major (retired) Jonathan Asiedu-Taku who died in January this year and was buried after midnight of Sunday, May 13, 2018.

President Nana Akufo-Addo gave the commendation when he led a government delegation that included Lawyer Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister to mourn with Nana Yaa Ansua, the Paramount Queen and the chiefs and people of Drobo Traditional Area on the occasion of the ‘Doteyie’ of Beyeeman Gyinantwi IV.

The ‘Doteyie’ in the Akan traditional and customary rites is the pre-burial funeral of a dead high profile traditional ruler that spans a number of days.

Beyeeman Gyinantwi IV, aged 81 died on Saturday, 27th January 2018 at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra and ruled for 37 years (1981-2018).

His ‘Doteyie’ spanned seven days at the Krupiase Palace from Monday, May 7, 2018 to Sunday May 13, 2018 when it was climaxed with a non-denominational burial service at the same venue.

President Akufo-Addo was there on the day two, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 with other personalities including Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, the Ghana Infrastructural Fund Board Chair and Mr. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Member of Parliament for Sunyani West and Minister for Employment and Labour Relations,.

Alhaji Abuu, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Jaman South, Mr. Kofi Adjei, the MCE for Berekum East and Mr. Adane Ankomah, the District Chief Executive for Jaman North were also part of the President’s delegation.

President Akufo-Addo described the move as a remarkable achievement and true commitment to maintaining peace and promoting peaceful co-existence in the traditional area.

The Brong-Ahafo Region is counted among the regions with the highest number of chieftaincy disputes in the country and that have militated against socio-economic development in many traditional areas.

Nana Akufo-Addo therefore urged other traditional councils to emulate the time-honoured traditional value of the enstoolment of a paramount chief without delay and litigation by the Drobo State to end chieftaincy disputes in the country.

Nana Gyan Katakyie II, Chief of Katakyiekrom and a member of the funeral planning committee told the GNA in an interview on the sideline of the pre-burial funeral of the late paramount chief on Thursday at Drobo in the Jaman South Municipality of Brong-Ahafo Region, that the secret of their success in that regard had been that “we go strictly according to our laid-down rules, principles, traditional norms and values by alternating the nomination and installation of our paramount chiefs between the two royal gates”.

He cited that Beyeeman Gyinantwi IV from the Bosea royal gate succeeded the late Nana Adinkra Kosopre from the Adinkra royal gate who ruled for 16 years (1966-1981).

Nana Katakyie said that tradition had been the reason behind the speedy socio-economic development of Drobo Traditional Area, adding that consequently some years ago the Drobo township was recognised as one of the fastest growing rural communities in Ghana.

The elected Beyeeman Gyinantwi IV’s successor whose name had been kept secret by the kingmakers was due to swear the traditional oath of allegiance to chiefs and people of the Drobo State to mark the official commencement of his rule as the paramount chief of the traditional area.