In Asamankese, in the Eastern region, police have arrested about 38 thugs in a rekindled chieftaincy struggle.
Thugs allegedly hired by a group in a local chieftaincy dispute, Barima Pobi Asomaning, attacked the Asamankese palace on Monday, December 20, 2021, firing warning shots to help the performance of traditional ceremonies for his enstoolment as a parallel Chief.
The armed thugs at about 7:00 am outnumbered police officers on duty at the chief’s palace and violently invaded the palace amidst the firing of gunshots.
Nine (9) civilians were injured and rushed to Asamankese Government Hospital.
Reinforcement led by the District Commander responded to the scene and arrested 38 suspects who were detained at Asamankese Police station.
Police also found a slaughtered sheep.
The Police also retrieved and seized 52 AA spent shells, one sidearm with 2 loaded magazines, one pump action gun was from the Suspects.
Another reinforcement team (Counter Terrorism Unit) personnel from the Eastern Regional Police Headquarters, as well as a team from Oda Divisional Command also arrived at the scene to restore calm.
The palace is currently under heavy security guard while patrols intensified in the Asamankese township.
The Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command DSP Ebenezer Tetteh who was at the scene with the reinforcement team said the area was relatively calm, however, police presence will be maintained in the township.
He said the suspects arrested were being transferred to the Regional Police Headquarters to assist the investigation.
Tension following Gazetting
Barima Pobi Asomaning and Osabarima Adu Darko III are both claiming legitimacy to the Asamankese stool.
The revelation that Osabarima Adu Darko III has been gazetted is believed to have fueled Monday’s violence.
In November this year, the rival chief Barima Pobi Asomaning who is Chief of Aworasa, together with the entire Royal Abrade family of Asamankese described the gazette of Osabarima Adu Darko III as illegal and a recipe for mayhem.
In a petition sent to the National and Eastern Regional Houses of Chiefs and copied the Minister of chieftaincy Affairs, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Staff among others stated that documents suggesting that Osabarima Adu Darko II has been gazetted have come as a surprise to the family and set the traditional area on a time bomb.
“I humbly write to your Noble offices seeking your intervention to avert a possible mayhem at Asamankese traditional area” a portion of the petition read.
Barima Pobi Asomaning is therefore calling for a full investigation into the clandestine and alleged illegal gazette of Osabarima Adu Darko III.
“We, therefore, call on your higher office to investigate the case against the Registrar at the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Probe him, apply sanctions when necessary and call for the cancellation of the illegal gazette for peace to prevail at Asamankese for the two parties to meet and for fresh nomination to be made as said in the Court ruling from the Judicial committee at Ofori Panin For”
According to him, a High Court and the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs have held that his rival Osabarima Adu Darko III is not the rightful occupant of the stool and said he cannot hold himself as such.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, he alleged that, a consensus agreement was reached at the Oseawuo division at Akyem Wenchi of the Akyem Abuakwa traditional council in the presence of Dasebre Dr. Nyarko Asumedu Appiah the Oseawuohene on 8th February 2017 after Abusuapanin Kwasi Kuma from the opposing queen mother’s lineage admitted and confirmed that there is no chief at Asamankese, that, the regent is Gyasehene, until the chieftaincy dispute is resolved for a fresh nomination is done to enstool a new Chief as contained in a ruling by the judicial committee at the Ofori Panini Fie at Kyebi.
He said it is therefore surprising that the Registrar of Eastern Regional House of Chiefs Mr. Richmond Persawu said there is no pending case as far as Asamankese Chieftaincy matters are concerned hence the gazette.
“Meanwhile, it is this same registrar’s office and jurisdiction that the queen mother of Asamankese who is the biological mother of Kwasi Obeng who purports himself as Osabarima Adu Darko III who has been illegally gazetted filed an appeal on 20th November 2017 and later went to withdraw the appeal on 26th February 2020. The withdrawal of the appeal by them gives the indication that there’s no chief at Asamankese and therefore they go by the initial ruling from the judicial committee at the Ofori Panini Fie at Kyebi.
“This action has come as surprising and criminal if proved right to have seen a Registrar whose office and court an appeal was filled in 2016 and was later withdrawn in 2020 to give the green light to a party in the pending case to be gazetted on November 2018. He must be arrested, Barima Pobi Asomaning added”.
According to the feuding faction, Osabarima Adu Darko III has not been recognized as legitimate Chief of Asamankese therefore any attempt to carry himself as such and tries to celebrate a planned festival called “Ɔboɔdwan” on 21st November 2021 would be violently resisted.
This threat led to the cancellation of the festival on security grounds.
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Reaction by Registrar
The Registrar of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs Mr. Richmond Persawu
told Starr News, processes for gazetting were initiated by Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council which presented the candidate to the Research Committee of the Regional House of Chiefs, then moved to the standing committee before finally laid before the house for approval for the Registrar to send same to the National House of Chiefs for gazetting.
He, therefore, said it makes no sense for the Registrar to be accused of taking bribes.
He said, on records of the Regional House of chiefs, there is no pending chieftaincy case emanating from Asamankese which is before the house.
