The Occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has destooled Nana Kusi Baaye II, the chief of Ohwim in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, bringing his 16-year reign to an end.
It comes on the back of multiple offences he was found to have committed including desecration of the Great Oath, extortion, illegal sale of lands and illegal mining.
He was found guilty during the Kumasi Traditional Council meeting on Monday, February 24, 2025, prompting the order for his immediate destoolment by the King of the Asante Kingdom.
The substantial case for which he was summoned before the King had to do with the desecration of the Great Oath.
However, many other individuals, including a royal, Dwumakye Baapanin, his sister, the Family Head, and a former Biemso Dikro, brought additional allegations against him.
False Witness
The chief was found to have falsely testified in a chieftaincy dispute involving Adede.
The bona fide owners of the stool approached the Ohwimhene, requesting that he testify in their favour in the case. However, despite knowing they were the rightful owners, the chief demanded ¢6,000 to honour their request.
Meanwhile, he took money from the other parties and stood before the Asantehene to testify in their favour. The Asantehene, in his wisdom, identified the wrongdoing and exposed him.
By this, he was found to have gone against his oath of office to stay truthful to the King. Additionally, he went against the witness vow associated with the Great Oath.
His sister, Akosua Nyame, in her submission before the Council recounted how his brother had made a contemptuous statement against the Great Oath after she invoked it thrice to stop him from illicit sale of lands; illicit sale of cemetery lands designated for royals and chiefs; and his refusal to make way for burial of Asikasuhene.
“After I invoked the Great Oath thrice, he told me, ‘if the Great Oath has legs, let it come and arrest me.'”
Sale of Lands
Dwumakye Baapanin was among the individuals who testified against the chief.
She accused him of falsely claiming that Otumfuo had bestowed to him Dwumakye lands and proceeded to sell 200 plots.
Galamsey
A former Biemso Dikro, for his part, stated that the chief seized the land in the name of the King and carried out illegal mining activities at Biemso.
“He told us Otumfuo had taken the land for a Solar project. We later realised he was undertaking illegal mining activities on it. The entire land has now been destroyed.”
Hostility
He also recounted how he had been destooled by the chief and tortured alongside other traditional leaders of the town.
“Now there are three Dikros at Biemso. I am unable to go there…While the Asikasuhene was alive, Ohwimhene went to his house and burnt all his belongings. He died of sadness and has been at the mortuary for five years because Ohwimhene refused to pave the way for his burial {by way of punishing him for accusing him of stealing local gin}… He also caused the arrest of several of the leaders there. Six of them have since died.”
Stool Rites
Ohwimhene was further accused by the family head of reneging on his responsibility to perform the needed rites for the stools.
“He says he is now a christian and so he cannot perform stool rites so for some time now the stools have been starved.”
Non-royal
A royal of the land also came forward with an accusation to the effect that the chief was not a royal.
This comes after Nana Ohwimhene opposed a request by the said woman to have her daughter enstooled as the Queen on the vacant stool.
“The male stool missed its way to their side as there was no one ready to take it up when the male stool became vacant. Out of goodwill, we allowed them to occupy it as they were family friends…When I went to request the stool for my daughter, he told me my family is not eligible to ascend it so I invoked the Great Oath challenging his royal status. He refused to challenge it though.”
Calls for Destoolment
The Divisions of the Council unanimously demanded the destoolment of the chief.
Verdict
The verdict of the King was based on the desecration of the Great Oath.
“You took money and witnessed falsely after vowing to be truthful to me with the Great Oath. Prior to your testimony, you vowed with the Great Oath to be truthful and you went against it. Do you deserve to occupy on the stool? And just look at all the allegations against you that came today…Many have sacrificed to protect the Golden Stool, I won’t allow you to destroy it.”
Otumfuo thus ordered for the needed rites to be performed and then gave Nkwantakese charge over the destooled chief.
Additionally, the Asantehene reinstated the former Biemso Dikro to his position, nullifying the enstoolment of his successor.
--Opemsuo--