Divisional chiefs of Manya Krobo distance themselves from destoolment of paramount queen mother

Correspondence from Eastern Region

Five divisional chiefs of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area have distanced themselves from the raging controversy surrounding the destoolment of the Paramount Queen Mother of the Area, Nana Aplam II.

The five chiefs including Nene Okpatakpla Sasraku IV of the-Manya Division, Nene Bediako Muala III of Dorm Division, Nene Tetteh Zogli of Piengua Division, Nene Owuadjao Angmor II of Suisi Division and Nene Asare Odonkor II of Akwenor Division say they played no role in the purported destoolment of the Paramount Queen Mother.

The Odumase Council, the body charged with the installation of Chiefs and Queen Mothers of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, reportedly acting on the orders of the Konor for the Area, Nene Sakite II on Monday, May 11, 2020, destooled the Paramount Queen Mother of the Area, Nana Aplam II, citing her marriage to a man from the Manya Division as one among other reasons.

Nene Olepeme Sakinor Nanor I, Chief Suisi Okwenya and spokesperson for the chiefs, speaking on behalf of the five divisional chiefs said the chiefs were not party to the decision to destool the Paramount Queen Mother.

The five Divisional chiefs in October 2019 declared their autonomy from the Konor of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Sakite and elevated the individual divisional stools to independent paramountcies.

This development, said the Spokesperson, meant the five chiefs were not involved in this decision making.

“The five divisions which including Suisi, Manya, Akwenor, Piengua and Dorm were not part of this development because all five divisional chiefs no longer work with the Paramount Chief,” Nene Olepeme said. “We want to make this clarification that these five divisions were not part of the decision.”

He, however, maintained that the deposed Queen Mother was recognized by the Divisional Chiefs by virtue of her enstoolment by customary law and also gazetted by statutory law.

Asked if the Divisional Chiefs agreed with reasons cited for her destoolment, the chief of Suisi Okwenya said they can only make their views known after listening to both sides.

“We are not happy [with the destoolment of the Queen Mother] but we have not yet heard from both sides, which is the Paramountcy and the queen mother so we cannot say much about that,” he explained.

He, however, said there were specific violations that could lead to the destoolment of a queen mother and wondered if the reasons assigned justified the action taken against her.

“The charges that the chiefs are hearing are not enough grounds on which one can destool a queen mother because there are particular violations upon which a queen mother can be de-stooled,” he elaborated.