Offinso Chieftaincy: Offinsohemaa Impeding Enstoolment of Eligible Person

The Queen mother of the Offinso Traditional Area, Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko, and her elders have been identified as the only impediment to the installation of an eligible person as the new chief for the area.

This was established at a press conference by some representatives of the Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.

Asafohene, Akyeamfuor Asafo Boakye Agyeman Bosu, who represented the Akwamu Division, posited that the queen mother’s choice to succeed Nana Wiafe Akenten III is ineligible as he is not a royal.

According to him, Otumfuo had set December 18 to meet all 17 eligible candidates for the stool. However, that was met with a legal redress from an elder of the community, Abuasapanin Akwasi Amoo.

“It is clear that Offinsohemaa and her elders are the impediments to the process of naming a qualified royal for the Offinso stool.”

History
Delving into the history of Offinso which binds it to the Asante kingdom, Asafohene said, “The original people from Adansi who settled at Tuatuase were part of the Asona clan, now referred to as Ahyiem. Tuatuase at that point wasn’t a paramountcy until it joined the Asante nation as part of the Asante organisational structure under Opemsuo Osei Tutu I and the most celebrated high priest, Okomfo Anokye.”

He recounted how after the Asante-Gyaman war in 1746, Asantehene Opoku Ware I bequeathed to Offinso a large tract of land bordered on the south of Techiman.

By that, Asafohene established that comments that Otumfuo has no authority over the Offinso lands are erroneous.

Ineligible Candidate
The controversy surrounding the stool is linked to attempts by some persons led by the queen mother to “sell” the stool to Kofi Koduah Sarpong, former Board Chairman of Asante Kotoko Sporting Club.

According to Nana Wiafe Sanwoansan, Hemanhene, who represented the Bekum Division, some royals approached Otumfuo about efforts by the queen mother to compromise on tradition and give away the stool to KK Sarpong.

The royals urged the King to intervene to forestall the unforeseen situation leading to the establishment of a Committee to probe the allegation.

It was found by the Otumfuo and the Committee that the said KK Sarpong- one of 18 candidates for the seat- who was portrayed as a royal was not related to the Ahyirem royal family as he claimed when he presented his family tree.

It was found that the woman he claimed to originate from never had a child and was thus disqualified.

Speaking at one of the Asanteman Traditional Council meetings in October, Otumfuo declared, “I will not allow anyone to sell out the Offinso stool.”