Kumawu Traditional Council Condemns the Recent Press Conference Held in Kumawu by the Subjects

While scrolling through the news items on Ghanaweb this evening, Saturday 6 August 2016, hoping to be abreast with the news developments in Ghana, I chanced upon a rebuttal to the recent Press Conference organised by the “Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad” on Tuesday, 2 August 2016 at Kumawu.

The rebuttal was authored by one Kofi Banzana and bears the title, “Kumawu Traditional Council has debunked claims by the Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad {KSLHA}”. The rebuttal publication can be found under the web link:

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/diaspora/Kumawu-Traditional-Council-has-debunked-claims-by-the-Kumawuman-460756

Yes, it is true that Dr Yaw Sarfo, known by the stool name Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua has been gazetted by the National House of Chiefs as the Omanhene of Kumawu by the arrangements of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the acclaimed “Overlord” of Asanteman.

The Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad as a registered organisation is of such good intentions about the entire subjects and the locality of Kumawuman. The members are desirous of ending the chieftaincy litigations besetting Kumawu. The litigations are the bane of the locality’s infrastructural and human development, if the truth was to be told without fear or favour.

The members are resolutely determined, leaving no stone unturned in their selfless quest to end the chieftaincy disputes spanning over a period of forty years, and culminated in the dearth of essential developments in Kumawuman.

For the current ongoing chieftaincy dispute to end, and for peace to begin to reign in Kumawuman to bring about the eventual yearned for developments, the Association organised the Press Conference to inform the whole of Kumawuman, Ghana and the world of their noble intentions. They subsequently released a Press Statement, the full details of which is found below.

Is it any big deal for Dr Yaw Sarfo to abide by the contents of the Press Statement which is coming to help him if indeed he has been gazetted as Kumawu Omanhene, fully following existing procedural Kumawuman traditions and customs and the strict requirements as appeared in the Declaration of Chieftaincy Forms 1 & 2 before a presumptive chief is vetted and duly accepted as a genuine sub-chief or paramount chief of an area?

As at writing, “Kumawuhene” Barima Sarfo Tweneboa is all over the Ghana television announcing that he is the one and only legitimate Kumawuhene because he was enstooled by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and has been accepted by Asanteman Council.

Yes, we are all aware of it as events that transpired at Manhyia Palace on 24 February 2014 as captured on video and since posted on YouTube under the underlying web link bear witness to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac8wZIPlVu8

For him to be supported fully by the entire Kumawuman subjects, he is humbly requested to do exactly as contained in the Press Statement issued by KSLHA as found below without additions, subtractions and omissions.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Rockson Adofo

Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad

P.O. Box NT 476, Accra New Town

Accra, Ghana.

Kumawuman2015@gmail.com

We are very pleased to be here with you this morning and would like to congratulate the team for organizing this very important event. We would also like to say ‘’Akwaaba’’ to ‘’Nananom’’, both the old and young citizens of Kumawuman, invited guests, journalists from various media houses and all well-wishers to this important press conference of Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad (KSLHA). Our goal at this press conference is to announce the reasons for forming KSLHA, to gather information and obtain answers to questions that we have in regards to ongoing chieftaincy issues in Kumawu. And finally to Petition the National House of Chiefs in regards to one of the two Kumawu Omanhene’s claim of been officially Gazetted.

One can never tell the true story of Asanteman without mentioning Kumawumanhene Barima Tweneboa Kodua, his self sacrifice and the blood of our forefathers who accompanied him during the war that helped bring about the defeat of Ntim Gyakari of Denkyira and set Asanteman free forever. Therefore Asanteman should not take Kumawu Traditional Stool, Barima Tweneboa Kodua’s Stool for granted.

Today our case is simple; we would like to see an end to all litigations involving the current Chieftaincy disputes. We want Kumawuman to be able to unite behind a legitimate king who with the help of the subjects home and abroad can bring about unity, prosperity for all and developmental programs that can make a lifelong difference in the lives of the average subject of this stool. We did not see a single development that benefited anyone in Kumawuman under Barima Asumadu Sakyi II because there was always constant litigation throughout his time as Kumawumanhene. We were hoping that there will be transparency in the choosing of a new King after Asumadu Sakyi's death, but currently we have two Kings in town with one claiming to be officially Gazetted by the National House of Chiefs. We know that to be gazetted by the National house of Chiefs, a new king must fill the Chieftaincy Declaration Form. Today we are asking that the National house of Chiefs furnish us with a certified copy of the Chieftaincy Declaration Forms filled out by Dr Yaw Sarfo (the one who claim to be Gazetted). That filled out form or forms is a public record, which anyone, especially the subjects of the stool is entitled to.

From our understanding a “public record” is defined as “any information, minutes, files, accounts or other records which a governmental body is required to maintain, and which must be accessible to scrutiny by the public. Whichever forms Dr Yaw Sarfo filled to facilitate his gazetting as the paramount chief of Kumawu traditional area constitutes a public record. Therefore, it must be made available for scrutiny.

If the National House of Chiefs complies by providing us with the necessary documents that we have requested and if it proves to be genuine/ legit, we would not hesitate to advise all parties involved in the Kumawu chieftaincy disputes to let go off this dispute from that point onwards and all Kumawuman subjects should embrace him wholeheartedly for the sake of peace and unity. We would encourage every subject to work towards an environment that breeds prosperity for all.

KSLHA, registered under the companies Act, 1963, Act 179, was formed to protect the property and interest of Kumawuman, to promote unity and the rights of Kumawuman. Part of our core mandate is also to organize and promote developmental projects for the subjects of Kumawuman and to ensure prosperity for all. Our group is made up of people united by the love and passion for their place of Ancestry. KSLHA has a diverse membership of people both home and abroad with membership spanning across every town in Kumawuman. From professionals in various careers to well-meaning individuals, we are united by a common vision, the vision to see Kumawuman work together and become great again. The vision to reinstate patriotism and selflessness among the citizenry, to teach the next generation about self-sacrifice, honor, leadership, honesty, transparency and good stewardship of the Lands that our forefathers fought hard to obtain.

We can all agree that Kumawuman has been in the press for bad reasons over some years now. But the question is how did we get to this pitiful state? Who’s to blame for the current state of this once great and vibrant town? As a result we the people of kumawuman have failed Tweneboah Kodua, for all of his hard work has gone in vein. In an effort to try to get things back in order, every member on the traditional council who was involved with tampering with our funds, resources and properties will be held accountable.

KSLHA as a group is saying ‘’enough is enough’’. We have monitored the situation in Kumawuman and would like to address them appropriately right away. We have drafted a developmental plan to aid us in steering our town in the right direction. It also seeks to bring about a structured, efficient and desirable place for the community to live and work. Due to the negative publicity that we have received in the media these past years, it has become necessary to put in place prudent measures to speed up our quest to development. Issues KSLHA will be tackling include Education, Job creation, Better Healthcare, Sanitation, Waste management, Agriculture, Housing, Infrastructure and Tourism.

Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad will leave no stone unturned in our quest to bring Peace, Unity, sanity, transparency, protection of rights, protection of our common interests and properties of Kumawuman. We would like to end off here by thanking everyone for coming to hear our concerns and plan to make Kumanuman great again. We’re expanding our reach to all Kumawuman Subjects scattered around the globe to strengthen our bond. You can get into contact with us if you want to join us officially.

Thank you for your undivided attention.