What Happened at Asanteman Council’s First Meeting in 2025

The Asanteman Council convened at the Manhyia Palace on Monday, January 13, 2025, for their first meeting of the year.

Paramount chiefs and Divisions were present with the Occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to adjudicate disputes and think about the general welfare and well-being of Kingdom.

The meeting admitted oath of allgiance of two new rulers, formation of committee to probe a dispute as well as several other agenda.

In his address, the King welcomed them from the Christmas and New Year break and announced some reviews he intends to put in place this year.

Queens Welfare Committees
The King announced his intention to set up committees to review the welfare and conditions of service of Queens in Asanteman. This will be the first step to securing their welfare and protecting the dignity of stools, he said.

One of the Committees will input the recommendations of chiefs while the other will input that of chiefs. The King will peruse these reports and then put in place the ultimate policy and arrangements.

“The Committees will be given a month to do their work and submit their report. This is how I intend to make peace reign between chiefs and queens. The Queens tend to appoint undeserving persons to stool because of hunger.”

Otumfuo noted that in areas where there are no properties except for lands, a part of the proceeds will be apportioned to the Queens.

Their portions, he said, will be transferred directly to their accounts by the Stool Lands Secretariat to avoid incidents of cheating by the chiefs.

“I’m cheated by the chiefs when it comes to my portion of the proceeds from land sale and so I won’t leave the queen’s portion to them. They admit the lands are ine but they sell them and apportion lesser than I am due. Many of them fail to even bring it. You can verify. Since I ascended the stool, the proceeds I get range between GHC1000 and GHC2,000.”

Spouses Involvement in Chieftaincy
Otumfuo also warned chiefs in his realm against involving their wives in traditional affairs of their jurisdictions, noting that traditional leadership is the sole prerogative and responsibility of the Queens and the Chiefs.

The Asantehene holds that the increasing and alarming trend of involvement of spouses in such issues is untraditional and against customs.

Addressing the Asanteman Council during the first meeting of the year, Otumfuo said, “Nananom must take note that the traditional area is placed in the care of the Queen and the Chief with no one else included.

“Your wives are not to rule with you. Your wives aren’t royals and so have no business in chieftaincy issues and leadership. Some chiefs have their wives seated during proceedings and that is against tradition.”

Queens’ Views
Additionally, Otumfuo stressed that Queens are not mandated to air their views during traditional council meetings.

Tradition, he said, dictates that the Queens can offer their views to only the chief at home and not at the council meetings.

“If she has concerns or opinions to share, she should discuss them with the chief at home. During dispute resolution meetings, if she has objections, she should ask the chief to pause the proceedings or, alternatively, address any mistakes made by the chief in a private discussion at home.”

Discord
His Majesty further encouraged Chiefs and Queens to make use of indoor conflict resolution during disputes.

According to him, third parties such as stool elders must not be dragged into discord between chiefs and queens. This, he said, is tantamount to airing their dirty laundry in public which debases their stools.

The only persons the King suggested could be brought into such issues for resolution are the Family Head or Gyaashene.

“It is against tradition to publicly sell your issues,” the King asserted.

Additionally, he noted that chiefs are not to make send money or any other thing intended for their queens through third parties.

He advised that in instances where there is a disagreement between them and they wish not to see the Queen in person, the person they should entrust with the goods is the Abusuapanin.

Humility
With all the power Queens wield, Otumfuo urged them to exercise humility and not intimidate.

“Don’t scare your chiefs or intimidate them. Be a little humble and lenient with them.”

Attending Events
Another notice the King served at the Council meeting was the plan for all Asanteman and Kumasi Traditional Councils to make themselves present at every event he attends as well as those he designates a person to go in his stead.

“There will be neither Asanteman Council nor Kumasi Traditional Council meetings when a member passes away. We all have to attend the funeral and in case I am unable to go and delegate someone to go and represent me, all members are supposed to be there with that delegate. The same applies to events that would be organized by any paramount chief.”

Appointment to Stools
The King then schooled the paramount chiefs, queens and their elders present about the appointment of a candidate for a stool.

According to him, that is the sole prerogative of the Queen.

“These days there is a trend where interested parties go and plead for the stool and we have some stool elders resisting the appointment of queens claiming there was no consultation. That is untraditional. It is against our custom.”

He observes that the rejection of these acceptable processes is the reason there are countless chieftaincy disputes.

His Majesty stated that Queens have the right to appoint any person to a stool without consultation. However, he said she may choose to consult the Abusuapanin (family head) about her choice.

“She may call the Abusuapanin indoors and inform him about her choice. If the Abusuapanin has any reservations about the choice of the queen, he puts it forward. This doesn’t give the Abuasuapanin the mandate to reject the good choice of the Queen. She can take inputs but it is not binding. The appointment takes place indoors and no one comes in.”

When this is done, the Queen conveys to the Gyaasehene who also communicates to the rest of the stool elders for their verdict on the choice.

“If they have any reservations about the appointee due to his character or any other thing for which they deem him unfit for the stool, they will have to meet with the Queen and convince her. The queen can reject when she deems their objections as flimsy.”

Great Oath
With the beginning of a new year the Occupant of the Golden Stool also sounded a word of caution over the invocation of the sacred Great Oath, urging nananom to be wary in handling the solemn oath.

His Majesty likened the desecration of the Great Oath to irritation of a wound, adding that anyone who falls foul will face the consequences.

“Invoking the Great Oath is like irritating my sore.”

For the umpteenth time, the King recounted the painful and heart-wrenching event that brought about the oath many years ago.

He noted that the oath is used to lay claim to things; therefore, anyone who knowingly or unknowingly invokes or counter-invokes it will not escape its implications if found guilty.

“I hereby warn Nananom not to invoke the oath if you are not sure of your background and history. The oath is used to lay claim and so if you are not versed with your history and you invoke the oath, you lose whatever you seek and any position you hold when found guilty.”

Oath of Allegiance
Two chiefs took the oath of allegiance to the cause of Asanteman.

Nana Akosa Yiadom III, Denyasehene, and Nana Kwame Baffoe, Nkoranzahene, swore the oath of allegiance before the council.

This act makes their enstoolment traditionally and legally legitimate.

Committee Constitution
The meeting held also witnessed the formation of a committee to probe a chieftaincy dispute in the Bobriase Traditional Area.

Nana Okoh Agyemang Boakye, Techirehene, Nana Poku Ware, Anyinasehene and Baffour Kwaku Amoateng IV, Otumfuo Kyeame were appointed to the committee to investigate the true owners of the stool.

“Find the descendants of the one who was first given that stool. We don’t want persons who came to occupy the stool along the way but the bona fide owners.”

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini