Otumfuo To Offinso Elders: “There Is No Stool In Ashanti That Is Not Under My Power!”

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, during a meeting with some chiefs and elders in his kingdom, reiterated the ‘power’ behind the name Osei Tutu he bears.

He said he is the reincarnation of Osei Tutu, the founder of the Asante Kingdom, and had authority over all the stools in Ashanti.

He was addressing a misunderstanding involving Manhyia Palace, the elders of Offinso, and Dr KK Sarpong’s kinsmen. The Asantehene has rejected the nomination of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC), Dr KK Sarpong, for the Offinso stool. The nomination was put forward by the Queen Mother of Offinso Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko and her elders.

The Asantehene’s decision has sparked protests from some youth of Offinso, who have accused him of abusing his power and disrespecting their queen mother. They have issued a statement expressing their disappointment and demanding that he allows the queen mother and the kingmakers to do their work.

The statement read in part: “Offinso is highly disappointed in how the pending chieftaincy dispute is being resolved by His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Offinso has taken notice that Asantehene is taking advantage of the respect that our queen mother has for him and therefore overexercising his powers on our queen mother to harass and make her powerless. The kingmakers unanimously accepted the nominee in good faith. If the kingmakers had rejected the nominee, the queen mother would not have an option, and we repeat that there was nothing like an objection from our kingmakers. We can state emphatically that Otumfuo has no power to enstool or destool any Omanhene and should allow the Offinso Hemaa and kingmakers to do their work as custom demands.”

The Asantehene, however, has dismissed their claims and warned them to be careful in their dealings. He said he knows the history and the lineage of the Offinso stool and he will not compromise on the truth and the tradition. He also revealed how he came to bear the name Osei Tutu, which he said was given to him by Osei Tutu himself when he was ascending the throne.

“How did I end up with Osei Tutu as my stool name? How did Osei Tutu give me his name when I was ascending the throne? There is no stool in Ashanti that is not under my power when I have been reincarnated in Osei Tutu. So be careful in your dealings, if it remains that we choose from the Ashiem Family we can still find a pure royal to install. If you line up all the prospectives here and they claim to be from the Ashiem Family but are not descendants of the women who have no curse placed on them, then you lie. If you are also a rightful descendant let me know and decide because I know everything and I have all the records,” he said.

The Asantehene then directed all prospective royals of Offinso to make their case following which 11 prospectives appeared to make their claim by telling him their lineage. After listening to the prospectives, Otumfuo directed the chiefs and elders to compile and present a new list of royals for which a decision will be made. He said he will take the next month to deal with other matters before his Manhyia Palace following which he will resolve matters around the Offinso chieftaincy.

He said: “Bring all of their family tree and present it before me. To all the perspectives, it is your family tree that will determine your claim. Tell the children it is not prudent to be engaging things that can jeopardise their life. Tell them the truth will prevail and Offinso will get a chief to serve the Golden Stool.”

The chieftaincy dispute in Offinso has been ongoing since the death of the late Paramount Chief of Offinso, Nana Wiafe Akenten II, in 2019. The queen mother and the kingmakers have chosen Dr KK Sarpong as the successor, but the Asantehene has rejected him on the grounds that he is not a royal from the Ashiem Family, which is the ruling house of Offinso.

 

 

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