The Queenmother of Akwamu Traditional Area, Nana Afrakoma II has reiterated the decision taken by the Bekai Family to destool Queen mother of the Bekai Stool Akwamufie, Nana Asaa Safoa II.
Nana Afrakoma II who was addressing the Media soon after the Bekai Family engaged the media on the same issue in Akwamufie on Monday, indicated that Nana Asaa Safoa II remains destooled and banished from Akwamufie.
According to her, the behavior of Nana Asaa Safoa is “nothing but total disrespect to the Akwamuhemea Stool, of which I am the occupant.
While the Akwamuhemea is not the proper person to destool the Osamanyawahemea, custom demands that she accords respect to myself and the stool I occupy. Her behavior is an affront to the dignity and high esteem in which the Akwamuhemea stool is held.”
Nana Afrakoma II told the media that although it does not lie within her power to destool Nana Asaa Safoa II, the Osamanyawahemea, the Bakai family has that right; hence her destoolment by the family was in order and customarily acceptable.
She however explained that when the issue of her destoolment begun, she, Nana Afrakoma II, invited Nana Asaa Safoa on several occasions to Akwamufie for them to deliberate on steps taken by her Abusuapanyin and family members, but she flatly disregard her invitations.
She averred that Nana Asaa Safoa after failing to attend the said meeting on August 10, 2019 called to reschedule the meeting to October 15, 2019.
“Nana Asaa Safo did not honour the invitation on her own schedule date, but came to Akwamufie the following day, 16th October, 2019. Having informed me that she was on her way to my palace, I summoned my elders to attend the meeting, but before I could come out of my residence to meet her, Nana Asaa Safoa had left the precincts of the palace, and was on her way to Accra, leaving me and my elders in bewilderment,” she said.
Nana Afrakoma II therefore stated categorically that she would not be able to preside over or sit in any meeting Nana Asaa Safoa attends throughout Akwamuman.
“In short, I cannot sit in Council with Nana Asaa Safoa as the Osamanyawahemea,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Bekai family led by its Spokesperson, Fred Aboagye Dankwah, in a similar fashion explained reasons why Nana Asaa Safoa was destooled.
According to him, Nana Asaa Safo has been disrespectful and at loggerheads with the Abusuapanyin at Akwamufie and Abomosu/Kyebi.
He said Nana Asaa Safo has taken possession of Bekai Stool properties and paraphernalia and keeping them at her private residence in Accra.
“She refuses to attend family meetings, events and festivals and has enstooled a Tufuhene on her own in direct violation of customs,” he said, stressing that on September 23, 2018 the traditional processes in relation to her destoolment was completed.
A sheep he indicated, was slaughtered at Kyebi and subsequently in Akwamufuie, with the body parts distributed to various parties in line with the Akwamu process for destoolment.
According to Fred Aboagye Dankwah who was supported by all the family heads and the ‘Abrewatia’ of Abomosu, a Writ to initiate chieftaincy proceedings against Nana Asaa Safo II was issued from the Akwamu Chieftaincy Council to the Akwuamu Traditional Council.
The family also took the opportunity to dispel the claims that Madam Marigold Akufo-Addo, sister to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was behind the destoolment of Nana Asaa Safoa.
They noted that the whole Bekai family, consisting of the family in Abomosu/Kyebi, Kwahu, Akropong, Akwamufie, Anum, and Anlo, have performed the required traditional custom to destool Nana Asaa Safoa II as the Queen mother of the Bekai Stool Akwamufie.
“But, we can say on authority that the Bekai family has the customary right to destool anybody it installed as Queen mother. For that matter, Nana Asaa Safoa II remains Destooled and subsequently banished from Akwamufie,” they stressed.
Also, when the media called on the Paramount Chief of the Akwamu State Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III over the matter, he indicated clearly that the installation and destoolment of the Osamanyawahemea does not lie within his powers but it is a sole preserve of the Bekai family.
He noted that he has nothing much to say but to accept the decision as taken by the Bekai family, saying that “I accept whatever decision taken by the family. It was the same family that installed her and introduced her to me. I remember I advised her to be at peace with her people especially the elders and remain respectful; that is the only way she can make it on the throne. So if today things have changed, I have nothing to say than to accept the decision of the family.”
By Prosper Agbenyega