Otumfuo blast offinso Queenmother over chieftaincy
Tomorrow will see the Offinso chieftaincy controversy put to rest as the Asantehene announces his decision on who is qualified to fill the vacant seat at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
However, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has criticized Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko, the Queenmother of Offinso, in advance of tomorrow's decision, accusing her of being the cause of the chieftaincy dilemma and the continued confusion in the town.
The eligibility of Dr. Kofi Koduah Sarpong, the ex-CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), who is fervently vying for the position, is at the center of the controversy.
The committee, comprised of the Yamfohene, Atwimamahene, Kaasehene, and Ofumanhene, with Kumawuhene serving as chairman, presented its report to Otumfuo and his cabinet last Thursday. However, the Ashanti overlord quickly dismissed the report, claiming that Dr. Sarpong was qualified to hold the throne and that it was inaccurate.
Following the passing of Nana Wiafe Akenten III, Paramount Chief of Offinso Traditional Area in the Ashanti Region, some natives of Offinso contested his eligibility, claiming he was not from the town and was unrelated to any of the families competing for the stool.
The Otumfuo formed a five-person committee to look into the ancestry of all 18 candidates, especially that of Dr. Sarpong, in response to protests regarding his status.
The decision of the Queenmother, Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko, to propose Dr. Sarpong for the role sparked demonstrations in the Offinso neighborhood.
In order to put an end to the matter, the Asantehene explained the history of the Offinso stool and said he would announce his decision the following day.
Otumfuo argued that the report had been biased in the ex-GNPC boss's favor and cited Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko as the source of the uncertainty on the stool.
He clarified that although Dr. Sarpong, who had previously worked under him, had nothing against him, he urged that the right thing should be done and reaffirmed that the committee's report was inaccurate.
The gathering that had assembled at the Manhyia palace to hear the report reacted with wild applause to Otumfuo's remarks. They referred to him as Solomon, Wiseman, among other titles, for his insistence that the right thing won out.
Insisting that he is a member of the Beposo Asona Royal dynasty and not of Dwamena and the Wiafe Stool of Offinso, the majority of the town's residents view Dr. Sarpong, who just constructed a luxurious residence in the town, as a usurper.
They said that he is from Beposo, a town in the Ashanti Region's Bosomtwe District, where his parents and other relatives are interred and where he has a better chance of becoming a chief.
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