Ignore Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council's Spurious Publication On Destoolment Of Akwatiahene -Abrade Royal Family Set The Records Straight

Principal kingmakers, accredited heads and elders of Abrade Royal family in Akwatia of the Eastern Region have called on the general public, particularly the residents of Akwatia to ignore Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council's spurious

claims of their wrong doing in what the Council described in its press conference as the purported destoolment of the Chief of Akwatia, Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll.

The Abrade Royal family stated that the current publication by Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council in which the Council said in its publication that the Judicial Committee of the Council has not received any charges from any of the kingmaker of Akwatia purporting to surcharge the Akwatiahene for a known customary offence is completely false and an attempt to throw dust into the eyes of the general public. 

The elders and kingmakers of of Abrade Royal family stated categorically that they have used the customary, legal, genuine and traditional channels before they had took the decision to destool the embattled Chief of Akwatia, Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll.

According to them, they are law abiding traditional office holders and citizens of Ghana and that they would be the last persons to do something which would contradict the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (ACT 759) in Ghana.

The elders and kingmakers had provided the documentary proof in reference to numerous destoolment charges they preferred against Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll in the letter dated January 30, 2023 they (the Abrade Royal family) had written to Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll  and Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council to support their claims they have used proper channels to destool Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll.

They indicated that the letter of destoolment charges preferred against Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll was widely endorsed by fifty-two (52) accredited elders and heads of the Abrade Royal family and subsequently signed by the Spokesperson for the Abrade Royal family, Nana Kwame Boadu and Abusiapanyi, Baffour Antwi Darkwah.

They reiterated that at first, the destoolment of the chief of Akwatia was done by both the Akwatiaman , which includes Akwatia Abrade Royal family.

They pointed out that the Akwatia Abrade Royal  Family preferred charges against Osabarima Kofi Boateng III to Oseawnuphene  in Wenchi on the 30th January 2023 and did pay the customary rite cost for the case to be called by Oseawuohene but all pleading to him to address the situation could not come on.

That, according to them, had led to the development by the Akwatiama, not only the Abrade Royal family.

They stated that the documentary  proof  to that is the letter dated January 2023 to Oseawuohene.

"In another development of preferred case against the same Osabariman Kofi Boateng III done to the Akyem Abuakwa Judicial Council far back last year July 2022, to plead to the high office to call Akwatia to book, but surprisedly up to today, the said had not done thing to call the case," the elders explained.

Proof of that is in the second letter by the family to the embattled chief which that  indicated payment of GH¢ 500 for that case to be treated but sadly Akwatiaman was just marginalize for the seek of the name Osabariman Kofi Boateng III. 

"All those  issues had led the Akwatiaman to seek the face of destoolment  procedure inherited from our customs at Abosanbooho shrine in Akwatia.

The elders disappointed in Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council for accusing them [kingmakers and elders Akwatia Abrade Royal family] for wrongfully destooling  Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll without crossing from them.

The principal and accredited kingmakers and elders of Abrade Royal family were responding to the current media publication by Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council which went viral that the Abrade Royal family  did not use the rightful channel to distool Akwatiahene

It would be recalled that Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has asked residents and citizens of Akwatia and Okyeman to disregard a purported destoolment of Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll by the Abrade Royal family of Akwatia.

The traditional council is further urging the Akwatia police to restore order in Akwatia and provide the necessary security to the Akwatiahene, Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll.

The Akyem Abuakwa State Secretary, Mr. D.M. Ofori-Atta hinted in a press conference held in Kyebi that Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll remains the Chief of Akwatia in the records of the Akyem Abuakwa Tradition council.

He said the proper person’s cloth with the right to bring proceedings for the destoolment of a Chief is provided for under section 40 of the Chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759.

"The Judicial Committee of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council, has not received any charges from any of the kingmakers of Akwatia purporting to surcharge the Akwatiahene for a known customary offence," D.M. Ofori-Atta stressed.

According to him, the requirement of a valid customary destoolment of a Chief, follows that: the Chief must have committed a known customary offence, the offence must have been brought to his notice by the elders, the elders must formulate charges against him before the judicial committee of the traditional council, the Chief must be tried on these charges and must be giving fair hearing and a finding of guilt must have been made against him before the appropriate customary practice relative to the area is conducted for his destoolment.

"The required processes have not been initiated, let alone been completed by the kingmakers of Akwatia. The purported news of destoolment is null and void and has no customary and legal effect," Mr. Ofori-Atta added.

Abusuapanin of the Abrade Royal family, Opanin Antwi Darkwa and the Krontihene of Akwatia, Baffour Afisa on 23rd July, 2023 led some family members of Abrade family to perform some customary rites signifying the destoolment of Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll as Akwatiahene over what they described as wanton sale of family and stool properties and gross disrespect for his family members and Akwatiaman.

Meanwhile, the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has described the purported destoolment as null and void and without customary and legal effects.

But in a quick response, the elders of Akwatia Abrade Royal family called on the residents and general public to ignore the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council's spurious claims.

According to the elders, saying that the members of the Council are not be fair to them since they were facts that they informed the members of the Council of the gross misconducts of Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll and also their decision to dethrone him.

They provided series of documents showing that they used the rightful means to dethrone  Osabarima Kofi Boateng lll.