PETITION AGAINST WENCHIHENE DISMISSED (NSEMPA, PAGE 9)

By Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Sunyani

SINCE the death of the Omanhene of the Wenchi Traditional Area, the late Nana Abrafa Mbore Bediatuo II, in the Brong Ahafo Region in 2004, the stool has become vacant following a protracted chieftaincy dispute over who was the rightful person to succeed him.
After the death of Nana Bediatuo, litigation ensued between one Nana Kusi Appea and the Omanhemaa of the Wenchi traditional area, Nana Atoaa Samangyetua III and the Wenchi traditional council at the Judicial Committee of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs.
On June 6, 2006, a petition filed by the said Nana Appea against Nana Samangyetua and the traditional council was dismissed as constituting an abuse of the judicial process.
The same day Nana Owusu Ansah Kokroko, the Krontihene of the area and acting Omanhene and President of the House and Nana Kumi Adusi Poku, the Gyasehene of Wenchi and some other divisional chiefs of the area, informed the Omanhemaa to nominate a candidate for the kingmakers of the council to be installed as the successor to Nana Bediatuo.
According to the facts upon which a petition was filed by Nana Samangyetua and three others at the Regional House of Chiefs, the petitioner agreed and promised to nominate a candidate for them in three weeks time.
The facts indicated that Nana Kokroko and Nana Poku and other divisional and sub-chiefs of Wenchi, again went to one Madam Abena Fremah Atuahene, an old lady of the royal family to nominate a candidate to be a chief to succeed the late Nana Bediatuo.
Graphic Nsempa learnt that, Madam Atuahene then nominated one Mr Kwadwo Nyam Nketia of Wenchi as the chief of Wenchi and Nana Kokroko and Nana Poku, have been making efforts to swear in the said Mr Nketia as the successor to the late Omanhene.
The other three petitioners are, Nana Dr Abrefa Mensah Abrampa, Abakomahene of Wenchi, Nana Owusu Achiaw II, Akratohene of Wenchi and Oheneba Dr Krabiri Boateng I, Jumakwaahene of Wenchi.
However, when the committee sat last Tuesday in Sunyani, it dismissed and struck out the petition as lacking merit.
The petitioners had sought an order for perpetual injunction, restraining Nana Nketia from styling or holding himself as the chief of Wenchi.
According to the petition filed on June 6, 2008, the purported nomination of Mr Nketia by Madam Atuahene as the candidate for the Wenchi Paramount stool was void.
The petitioners again sought an order for perpetual injunction, restraining Nana Owusu Ansah Kokroko, the Krontihene of the Wenchi Traditional Council and acting Omanhene and President of the House as well as Nana Kumi Adusi Poku the Gyaasehene of Wenchi, from installing and enstooling Mr Nketia as the chief of Wenchi.
They further declared that Nana Kokroko and Nana Poku could not install and enstool Mr Nketia as the Omanhene of Wenchi, as the person who nominated him lacked the capacity to do so and that, Nana Samangyedua was the rightful person to nominate a candidate to the kingmakers of the Wenchi Traditional Council to be installed as Omanhene.
In dismissing the petition, the three-member judicial committee chaired by Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri who is the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area pointed out that, “Nananom have painstakingly considered the petition of the petitioners, the answer to the petition by the respondents, the issues raised by the pleadings and submissions by counsel for the parties.”
The committee, whose other two members were Nana Ansah Adu Baah, the Yamfomanhene and Pemampem Yaw Kagbrese V, the Omanhene of the Yeji Traditional Area said, “We are therefore convinced that, in view of the peculiar custom and practice that have evolved over the pass fifty years or so in connection with the nomination, election and enstoolment/installation of the paramount chief of Wenchi, the present petition is not maintainable and that same is hereby struck out and dismissed as lacking merit.”
The committee however deferred giving their reasons but ordered that, the Gyaasehene as the custodian of the stool property to take an inventory of the property and hand it over to Mr Nketia who will now be addressed by his proper stool name, Nana Kwadwo Abrefa VII within two weeks from November 19, 2008.
The petitioners were ordered to pay GH¢2,500 as cost to the respondents.