Asantehene Appoints Maame Dufie as Next Derma Baapanin
The King of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has ordered the enstoolment of Comfort Dufie as the next Baapanin of Derma.
The directive was issued on November 2, 2026, after His Majesty accepted the dibim (plea for leniency) from Owusu Ansa, Nsia Asare, and Akwasi Owusu, who had earlier invoked the Great Oath to lay claim to the stool.
In accepting their plea, he revealed the level of abandonment and hardship Dufie suffered at the hands of her family while fighting for her rightful inheritance.
According to the King, she earned the position through the sacrifices she made.
“Her own family abandoned her during the dispute. I am fully aware of everything that transpired.”
He further directed that a suitable male candidate be selected to occupy the vacant stool before her ascension.
“Find someone to ascend the male stool first; after that, you may ascend the female stool.”
In his remarks, Otumfuo reaffirmed that the Derma stool rightfully belongs to Maame Dufie’s family. He explained that Owusu Ansa, Nsia Asare, and Akwasi Owusu descended from two paternal sisters of Ntiamoah Woso, the first occupant of the stool.
He recounted how the sisters joined their brother in Derma and lived together, bonding as one family despite their distinct paternal bloodlines.
“With the passage of time, whenever the stool became vacant, individuals were appointed regardless of this history. They lived as one, so there was no need to delve into the past.
“However, now that the Great Oath was wrongly invoked to lay claim to it, the true history had to come to light. Those who wrongly invoked the oath can no longer go near the stool. Dufie’s family are the true owners of the stool.”
Following the ruling, all parties reconciled, smoked the peace pipe, and pledged to live together in peace.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
