The problem at the core of Kwahu Nkwatia chieftaincy crisis

You are so disgruntled that you don’t even realize the impact of some of the wild, unfounded, and uninformed allegations that you are making and stressing everyone to come along with you.

You are educated enough to know that in 1931 there was no country called Ghana, so don’t confuse us with your so-called “Ghana Gazette of March 28, 1931”. You are rather referring to the 1931 Native Administrative Ordinance (Gold Coast Gazette) which has been replaced with article 277 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

“chief” means a person, who, hailing from the appropriate family and lineage, has been validly nominated, elected or selected and enstooled, enskinned or installed as a chief or queenmother in accordance with the relevant customary law and usage.

This article underscores the requisites to be satisfied when considering the making of a chief. They are simply these:

1. Nomination

2. Election/Selection

3. Enstoolment, enskinment or installation

So why waste time and effort scrutinizing the 1931 Native Administrative Ordinance.

The nominations process is the sole prerogative of the Queen mother, whiles the election/selection process is solely for the Kingmakers.

There are several Supreme Court authorities that have clarified article 277 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.

At every given time, there is only one queen mother in a place. There can be no proper situation where there is a queen mother at post and yet another person is chosen to perform duties assigned exclusively to the queen mother.

Dear readers, in the instant case on Kwahu Nkwatia, the Queen mother made an announcement in November 2016 that any legitimate royal who is interested in contesting for the Nkwatia Stool should follow due process to submit his name for nomination. At the close of the period, only four royals complied, and their customary nomination drinks were accepted.

On 23rd July 2017 the Queen mother and the Adehyehene, who doubles as the Abusuapanin of the royal Asona family of Nkwatia, organize a royal family meeting at the queen mother’s palace to nominate a royal to be presented to the Nkwatia Kingmakers to approve or reject, i.e. the selection/ election process.

The meeting was well represented by the principal elders of all the four gates of the royal family.

At the start of the meeting the Adehyehene stated the purpose of the meeting and enquired if all the family heads of all the four gates were present. All were present except for one. There were several elderly men and women from all the gates present in the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, the entire family accepted the nomination of two royals for the Queen mother to present them to the Nkwatia Kingmakers for them to select/elect one to become the chief of Nkwatia.

The question to ask Kofi Adu Van Lare is “where was he and his so-called principal elders whom he claims were not consulted”.

Kofi’s cry is that, he claims the Late Atuobi Yiadom IV nominated him to become the next chief of Nkwatia when he dies. Very laughable!!!

This is completely uncustomary. The stool does not belong to one person, and that is the reason the 1992 Ghana constitution and the Chieftaincy Act 759 makes provision for how a chief will be nominated, selected/elected, installed / enstooled / enskined.

Readers should ignore Christian Kofi Adu Van Lare, he is so disgruntled and cannot come to terms with realities. He hold no title in the family.

Unfortunately, there was a serious misunderstanding among the Kingmakers during their meeting to select/elect the royal to become the chief of Nkwatia. Hence the litigation that has been adjudicated by the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.