Five members of Duwaa Family of the Yiadom and Hwedie Royal Families of the Oyoko clan of the Old Juaben and New-Juaben Traditional Areas in the Ashanti and Eastern Regions have filed a petition and an injunction application at the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs against Nana Otuo Siribo) II Omanhene of Juaben Traditional Area and the Chairman of the Counsel of State.
Others in the suit are Nana Akosua Akyamaa III, Queen mother of Juaben Traditional Area, John Gyamfi, the nominated candidate and Nana Twumasi Dankwa, Gyasehene of the New Juaben Traditional Area.
They are seeking a declaration that the purported nomination of John Gyamfi (nominee) by Nana Otuo Siribo) II, Paramount Chief of Juaben Ashanti as the candidate for enstoolment as Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area on the Yiadom-Hwedie Stool is invalid and void among other reliefs.
The suit follows the nomination of John Gyamfi, as the candidate for the chief of New Juaben Tradtional Area, following the death of Dasebre Oti Boateng in August, 2021.
In a press release issued on Sunday, June 26, 2022, and signed by the spokesperson for the family, Kofi Agyemang, the Yiadom and Hwedie Royal Families consist of the two Royal Gates to wit; the Nana Duwaa’s Gate and Nana Akua Sapomaa’s Gate.
“A week after the Doteyie was performed for the late Daasebre Oti Boateng and Nana Yaa Daani II , Nana Otuo Siribo) II summoned a meeting for only his Gate (Nana Akua Sapomaa’s) Gate which resulted in the nomination of John Gyamfi as his preferred candidate for enstoolment of the position of Omanhene of New-Juaben, and has on the 6th June 2022 presented him to the Kingmakers for confirmation,” the release said.
“For the nomination to have been properly made all interested Royals should have been given the chance to consider putting their names forward for the post of the Chief if they are qualified. However Nana Otuo Siribo) II failed or neglected to do and in fact to put it bluntly he failed and or neglected to open nominations for all interested Royal from the two gates to consider putting their names forward” it explained.
The family said Motion Ex Parte for Substituted Service filed on the 13th June 2022 is suffering a setback due to the predisposition of the House to unduly delay the process as portrayed by the Registrar with an indicting claim to the petitioners that there is no funds to organize a general meeting that will constitute the Judicial Committee to sit on the motion on the substituted service.
The family suspects that the House, as portrayed by the Registrar, is dragging its feet and will not allow service to be effected on the Respondents until the nominee is enstooled.
“Petition filed on the 6th June 2022 and filed a fresh Petition and an injunction application on the 21st June, 2022 to join to the Petition the Kingmakers. This time round the Registrar has made it impossible for service to be effected on the Respondents as he is reluctant to release the Bailiff to effect service on Nana Otuo Siribo) II Omanhene of Juaben Traditional Area and the Chairman of the Counsel of State, Nana Akosua Akyamaa III, Queen mother of Juaben Traditional Area, John Gyamfi, the nominated candidate and the Kingmakers: it added.
The family said there is an information that a public announcement has been made on Sunday, 26 June, 2022, morning at Koforidua to the effect that the nominee will swear the oath of allegiance on Monday the 27th June, 2022, at the Forecourt of the Yiadom –Hwedie Palace.
“We are therefore appealing to the President of the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, President of the National House of Chiefs, and Minister of Chieftaincy to order the Registrar of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs to discharge his duties in accordance with law” the family pleaded.
They posited that“further steps taken by the Juabenhene to enstool the nominee is contrary to customary law and usage. It was expected that the nominee would go through forty (40) days confinement only to hear public announcement on the morning of 26th June 2022 that he is swearing the oath of allegiance on 27th June 2022, exactly three weeks of outdooring on the 6th June 2022”.
It concluded that “we therefore call on the Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Siriboe II to respect customary law and tradition to avoid a potential conflict. We further call on him to bring his fifty years’ experience as Omanhene to bear by following laid down traditional processes in a bid to avoid potential conflict”.
