Nzema youth go wild over removal of chief

The Concerned Youth of Nzema in the Jomoro District of the Western region are fuming with anger over the expulsion of the paramountcy of Aiwiaso Traditional Area from the register of the National House of Chiefs.

Consequently, the angry youth have petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to, as a matter of urgency, invoke the powers conferred on him under Article 278(1) of the 1992 Constitution to set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the circumstances that led to the expulsion.

The youth also asked the president to prevail on the Western Regional House of Chiefs to induct the Paramount Chief of Aiwiaso Traditional Area, Tumivole Kaku Aka III, into the august house and be accorded the due respect and courtesies.

According to them, the process has delayed and they want action expedited on it.

They stated in a four-page petition to the Office of the President of which copy was intercepted by Today.

They noted in the petition that Tumivole Kaku Aka III known in private life as Isaac Ettie Amihere, a royal from the clan of Nvaville Royal Clan of Ahwiaso, was enstooled as the Paramount Chief on 24th May, 2014 at Aiwiaso, following the death of Awulae Kaku Aka II, in October 2013.

The installation ceremony, the youth explained, was attended by the queen mother, the Abusuapayin, elders and entire members of the royal family, kingmakers and chiefs from both Western and Eastern Nzema Traditional Areas.

The youth further pointed out that Tumivole Kaku Aka III went through all requirements and processes as demanded by Article 274(3) paragraph(c) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

And afterwards he wrote a letter to the Western regional House of Chiefs to request for a date to enable him to be sworn him into the House of Chiefs.

However, contrary to their expectation, “a letter dated 17th November, 2014 with reference number NH/WR.20/VOL.10/78 from National House of Chiefs indicated that upon a committee’s decision in the Western Regional of House of Chiefs, the Acting Registrar was directed to expunge the paramountcy of Aiwiaso Traditional Area from the National House of Chiefs register.”

Describing the development as “unfair and an act of intimidation” towards the people of Nzemaland, the youth questioned how it was possible for a “dynasty of a Royal Clan such as that of Awulae Kaku Aka I, overlord and King of Nzemaland could be cancelled by a Committee.”

They said the meeting of the committee held on 14th and 15th of October 2014 was inconsistent with Article 274(3) paragraph (c) of the constitution.

The petition maintained that, Tumivole Kaku Aka III met all requirements and demands and wondered why the process to introduce him to the House of Chiefs had delayed since August 2014 insisting that “Tumivole Kaku Aka III be sworn into office now and without any further delay towards averting any unforeseen mishaps.”

In this regard, the youth and Concerned Citizens of Jomoro appealed to the president, “to, as a matter of necessity, exercise his authority in Article 274(3) paragraph (d) to (f) of the constitution through the Minister in charge of Chieftaincy and Culture as well as the National House of Chiefs to enable peace and harmony prevail. Your invocation of Article 278(1) of the 1992 constitution is therefore needed in this matter.”

Giving a historical antecedence of what they called true traditional lineage, the youth affirmed that Tumivole Kaku Aka III, the Paramount Chief of Aiwiaso Traditional Area occupies the great ancestral stool of the Nvavile Royal Family-Nzemaland which is the true primordial and alluvial owner of all lands in the Appolonia Nzemaland.

The petition stated that, the Nvavile Royal Family of Nzema under the hegemony of King Annor Blay, the founder of Appolonia Nzemaland, was also King who led the Nzemas from the southern part of the Nile in 1200 AD to the present day Nzemaland.

“The Nzema Nvavile Royal Family of King Annor Blay, the discoverer and founder was followed in succession by King Anlima Fuke and Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli in that order till the enthronement of King Kaku Aka I in 1831 who defeated the French to expand the territorial boundary of Appolonia-Nzema to Bassam in the Ivory Coast in 1835,” the petition narrated.

It said in spite of the British invasion of April 18th, 1848 the historic stool of Nzemaland has not changed even in the presence of the “mistaken occupancy of the East and West paramountcies which were void by Nzema tradition.”

“In the absence of a true ruler we have had “de rigueur era and denatured” system,” it continued.

It said the enstoolment of Awulae Kaku Aka II in Aiwiaso on the 1st September, 2006 in accordance with Article 277 of the 1992 Constitution came as a great relief towards the great restoration of hope for Nzemaland.

It said, his installation as Omanhene of Aiwiaso Traditional Area was affirmed by both Western and Eastern Nzema chiefs and also went through statutory processes and attained the status as the 23rd member of the Western regional House of Chiefs.

“In furtherance to this his August Swearing-In Ceremony and customary rites were performed before the entire house on March 16th, 2011 per a letter from the ministry of chieftaincy and culture through Western regional House of Chiefs with reference number, WRH/TC1/20.This letter confirmed his acceptance as the 23rd member of the Western regional House of Chiefs.

Awulae Kaku Aka II swore an oath of allegiance, judicial and secrecy at the Sekondi High Court on March 29th, 2011. And with Gazette number 1144 as Paramount Chief with elevation.”

He ruled as the Paramount Chief until his death in October 2013