We didn’t summon Kofi Annan – Okyenhene's aide

The chief of staff of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council in the Eastern Region, Barima Yentumi Abodea, has debunked media reports that the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, has summoned former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to his palace to resolve a protracted chieftaincy dispute.

According to the chief of staff, the council only invited Mr Kofi Annan (the Abusuapanyin) to testify in a case in which an elder man had come to indicate that he had been designated by Mr Annan to represent him because of his (Annan’s) busy schedules.

“We never summoned Kofi Annan as has been reported. We invited the family head involved in the disputes who we didn’t know was the former UN General Secretary until a certain man who came and said Kofi Annan had asked him to attend on his behalf,” Barima Yentumi asserted.

Reports that made the rounds on Tuesday indicated that Kofi Annan was allegedly leading one of two royal families involved in the six-year-old tussle for a chieftaincy title in the Akwamu Traditional Area and was summoned to appear before the Okyenhene, who doubles as the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs over the dispute.

The dispute reportedly started in 2011 when the queen mother of the Botwe royal family, Akwamu Nana Afrakoma, enstooled Nana Kwabena Owiredu (aka Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III) as Omanhene of Akwamu Traditional Area.

In a bid to stop the process, the rival Ansaa royal family referred the matter to a high court in Koforidua, but that did not stop the Botwe family from installing Nana Owiredu.

An arrest warrant was subsequently issued in 2012 for Nana Afrakoma and Nana Owiredu to appear in court for contempt.

The matter was eventually referred to the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs for resolution, but the defendants – the Botwe royal family – had accused the Ansaa family and the former UN Secretary General – who is head of the Ansaa family – of unduly dragging the matter.

Although Mr. Annan and the Ansaa family have purportedly given the Power of Attorney to one Owusu Bruku, the lawyer for the defendants, Kweku Painstil, argues that the absence of a substantive member of the Ansaa family at the hearings was working against efforts to end the dispute.

Mr Paintsil also faulted the Power of Attorney document presented, suggesting that because Mr. Owusu Bruku was not a member of any of the two royal families, he lacks the ability to provide credible evidence.

During sitting, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin also wondered why the Power of Attorney document was not signed by Mr. Kofi Annan, raising doubts about the authenticity of the document.

The panel of chiefs hearing the matter therefore, asked the lawyer for the plaintiff, Stephen Asante Bekoe, to produce Mr. Annan at the next sitting, scheduled for November 9, 2016.