A section of youth together with some traditional leaders of the Afutuakwa Traditional Area in the Assin Central Municipality in the Central Region have petitioned the Regional House of Chiefs to seek redress over the paramountcy's persistent chieftaincy uproar.

The mayhem is said to be instigated by Nana Afranse IV, the Queen Mother of Afutuakwa and one Isaiah Akomaning, who is touted to illegally parade himself as the Omanhene of Afutuakwa Traditional Area, whereas the Central Regional House of Chiefs recognizes the Traditional Area to have no chief since the late Omanhene, Okumanini Obiri Yeboah I died.

The unrest is said to have stalled the development of the traditional area, thus heightened the unbearable condition of the citizenry.

The petition received by the Registrar of the House of Chiefs, seeks to inquire of the House why Isaiah Akomaning was presented as the Omanhene of Afutuakwa Traditional Area during the recent visit of the President of the country and allows him to parade himself as the Omanhene.

It again inquire whether the Regional House of Chiefs has the right to endorse or order the installation or destoolment of a chiefs within the Region, as Nananom of the Regional House are supposed to have done in the case of Afutuakwa.

Information obtained from the chieftaincy uproar indicates that after 20 years following the demise of the late Paramount Chief, Okumanini Obiri Yeboah I, a search party was instituted for a new chief in person of Justice Frank Amoah to be presented before the kingmakers by the embittered Queen Mother, Nana Afranse herself for approval.

But before he could be enstooled, the in question Queen Mother refused to have him enstooled even though he had gone through the known Afutuakwa customary processes.

The matter went before the Judicial Committee of the Central Regional House of Chiefs who ruled in favour of the candidate, Judge Amoah and was therefore enstooled with the stool name Okumanini Obiri Asamoa Anim III.

Report has it that five (5) days after the judgment, Nana Afranse on her own and at midnight, locked the palace doors and without the knowledge and participation of the sub-chiefs and kingmakers, enstooled the said Isaiah Akomaning as the new Afutuakwahene.

According to the petitioners headed by Nana Appientua V, the Sunkwae Hemaa of Assin Fosu, since the suspicious installation of Okumanini Baffuor Asare Kyeahene II otherwise known as Isaiah Akomaning, himself and Nana Afranse have been harassing the people of Afutuakwa in diverse ways.

They recounted that everyone who seeks to support Okumanini Obiri Asamoa Anim III or Justice Frank Amoah in any form is not allowed to hold any funeral of the relative provided such a person rejects Okumanini Obiri Asamoa to support Okumanini Baffuor Asare Kyeahene II (Isaiah Akomaning), else will be made to pay the sum of GH¢10,000 or GH¢20,000 before such funeral will be allowed to proceed, coupled with the various cases of assault.

Petitioners clad in a red and black attire comprising of Chiefs and Queens of the Kronti division, Adonten division and Kyidom division of the Afutuakwa Traditional Area in their address to the media shortly after submitting the petition, called on President John Dramani Mahama and the newly appointed IGP, COP Christian Tetteh Yohunu to see to the solution of the chieftaincy dispute before things get out of hand.

Upon the High Court's order of retrial which nullified Okumanini Obiri Asamoa Anim’s enstoolment.

Okumanini Obiri Asamoa has since filed an Appeal which is pending for hearing before the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs.

Sompaonline.com//Eric Annan