Daasebre Oti Boating to face court over demolition of Prince Boateng’s statue

The family of the late Prince Yao Boateng has made good their threat to sue the Paramount Chief of the New Juaben Traditional Area in the Eastern Region, Daasebre Prof. Emeritus Oti Boateng after the latter failed to meet a 14-day ultimatum given him to replace a bust he pulled down.

Children of the late Prince Yao Boateng have therefore sued the Paramount Chief with the suit expected to be heard on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at a Koforidua High Court.

The statue of Oheneba Yao Boating known in private life as Prince Emmanuel Yao Boating during his lifetime was pulled down on March 19, 2021 by the New Juaben Traditional Council, describing it as “offensive and dirty trick,”

The Traditional Council argued that the bust of the late Prince Emmanuel Yao Boating was erected by his children without the approval of Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng which it deemed as “gross disrespect” to the Yiadom Hwedie stool by the family.

According to the Council, pulling down the statue was the last resort available to it following the refusal by the children of the late Oheneba Yao Boateng to remove the statue as it promised when summoned on February 5, 2021 by the traditional council.

But responding to the action, the solicitors for the family, Osafo Adu-Amankwah & Co said the decision by the affected family to institute the bust was not illegal since due process was employed in the whole procedure.

Challenging the authority of the traditional council to demolish physical structures, the Oheneba Yao Boateng family argued that such powers only belong to the District Assemblies.

The family further described the move as illegal even if it did not appeal to the traditional council and reminded the traditional council that it officially went through the required processes including duly informing the New Juaben Traditional Council before erecting the bust.