Is Asantehene Serious about Resolving the Teeming Chieftaincy disputes before him?

"I have the power, I can do what I want, when I want", Asantehene may have once threatened. Yes, he has the power because of the Golden Stool he occupies but we demand justice of him. Moreover, the fact he is a mortal being places limitation on the extent to which he can exercise his powers unless he presumes to be living in the fool's paradise. Before I proceed any further, those in authority with that baseless ego should understand that people made them what they are and the very people they underestimate can undo them.

Lord Acton (1834-1902), a British historian, politician and writer once wrote, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." What he said could well fit the current irresponsible behaviour in portrayal by the present occupant of the Asante Golden Stool. He has adopted that attitude of nonchalance coupled with the mistaken assumption of wielding absolute power that permits him to do whatever he wants as and when he decides. This is the more reason why he is inflicting psychological injury on not only the true paramount royals of Kumawuman but also bullying the entire inhabitants of Kumawuman.

I wonder why all Kumawuman citizens, audacious as they were once renowned for, have allowed the current occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to take them for granted. Is it because they have become cowards or they lack perfect knowledge of their once powerful and rich history? If not, how do they explain away the absurd treatment Asantehene is meting out to them? The fact Kumawuhemaa is a nutter who does not seek the prosperity of Kumawuman and the welfare of the inhabitants therein, does not allow Asantehene to exercise undue authority over the people. He had better know and understand the history of Asanteman with the enshrined limitations.

In Akan tradition and custom, we expect the husband to cater for the wife. The wife must get something off him to take home to her parents and relatives. This is not the case with Kumawuhemaa. She parted widely her legs to the Asante Overlord, promised him money and is conniving with his cohorts to dispose of hundreds of thousands of acres of Kumawuman Stool lands. What a silly wife or woman she is? She is behaving worse than that foolish woman who stole her family gold, gave it to her husband who eventually divorced her, ran away with the wealth to marry another woman.

The whole issue of the Kumawu chieftaincy disputation makes not only Kumawuman but also the Asanteman Council with Asantehene as its head a laughing stock. The whole intention of some of the Amanhene is to prolong the situation of depriving Kumawuman of a paramount chief to allow them steal Kumawuman Stool lands. Asantehene, Kwamanghene and Agogohene are solidly of this opinion. If this is not the case, what else can explain Asantehene's dithering attitude about whether or not to arbitrate the case in accordance with tradition and on time?

The following points are to be noted very well by all readers especially, Kumawuman citizens. 1) The Asantehene Ntamkese was twice invoked on Kumawuhemaa. 2) Kumawuhemaa could not deny the credibility of the grounds for invoking the oath with a counter-oath invocation of her own on the invoker. 3) She requested Asantehene to allow her proceed home to consult with her elders on whether to place counter oath or not. For over four years now, she has not reported to Asanteman and Asantehene does not even dream of enquiring about the outcome of her purported consultation with her elders. This is a joke. 4) From history, the supposed Ankaase royal family from whence Kumawuhemaa comes is not the true paramount royal family of Kumawuman. They are the descendants of "AYO". 5) Why is Asantehene afraid to convene Asanteman Council meeting to look into the Kumawuman chieftaincy issue? 6) Does Asantehene know he has not any authority over Kumawu Stool let alone her stool lands?

I will soon be serialising on the internet a copy of a document I have laid hands on that explains how some chiefs have attempted to sell Kumawuman Stool lands and the action taken by two concerned citizens to stop them in their tracks.

It hurts me to find Kumawuman citizens not showing any concern about their place of birth in the face of the repugnant treatment the Asante Overlord, Mr. Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent is meting out to them.

Asantehene in his mind thinks to be at liberty to do whatever he likes. Lord Acton says to him, "Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought."

John Fosu