Story: Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has initiated action to have the protracted dispute between him and the Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area over the elevation and allegiance of some stools in the Tano-Subin area of the Brong Ahafo Region resolved amicably.

Among the areas in the dispute are Tuobodom, Tanoso, Tanodumase and Buoyem, all in the Techiman Traditional area.

Last Monday, the Asantehenen inaugurated a committee that would liaise with the Techiman Traditional Council on the resolution of the age-old dispute that had led to the loss of five lives and massive destruction of property.

The inauguration of the committee was done behind closed doors at the Manhyia Palace, but the Daily Graphic gathered from reliable sources that Otumfuo Osei Tutu wanted to see the dispute resolved once and for all.

The memebership of the committee comprised chiefs from the Ashanti Region and others from the Brong Ahafo Region who owe allegiance to the Golden Stool.

They will visit Techiman to meet the Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV. However, it was not known whether the Techimanhene will reciprocate the visit by travelling to Manhyia to hold discussions with the Otumfuo

There are rival chiefs in all the disputed towns. While one side of the towns owes allegiance to the Asantehene, the other serves the Techimanhene.

About 16 years ago, a bloody dispute occured at Buoyem and Tuobodom when the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II elevated the Stools in the Tano Subin area of the Brong Ahafo Region to Paramountcies. Five people were killed, while buildings were burnt and other properties destroyed, as rival factions of the Asantehene and the Techimanhene clashed.

The latest in a series of upheavals took place on March 5, 2010 when some macho men allegedly kidnapped the Tuobodomhene, Nana Baffour Asare II, who owes allegiance to the Asantehene, and sent him to the palace of the Techimanhene, where the chief claimed to have been molested by agents of the Techimanhene.

The incident elicited fierce reaction from the Asantehene, who threatened to deal with the Techimanhene for his behavior. Oseaseeyo Akumfi Ameyaw denied the allegation against him, but there were reprisal attacks at both Techiman and Kumasi. Since then, the National House of Chiefs has made fruitless attempts to resolve the issue.

According to the source at Manhyia, it was to see to the peaceful resolution of the issue that Otumfuo Osei Tutu took up the matter from his own end. When contacted, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw said although he was yet to receive official communication from the Manhyia Palace, he had heard of the Asantehene’s plans. He said he was looking forward to the peace overtures from the Asantehene, since he was also interested and committed to peaceful co-existence and development.

*Source*

Daily Graphic                            Wednesday, January 18, 2012        Pages 1, 3