The Royal Agona Family of Akyem Kotoku in the Eastern Region has condemned the decision by the National House of Chiefs (NHC) to re-enter the name of the embattled and ‘illegally installed’ chief, Oseadeeyo Frempong Manso, known in private life as Dr. Joseph Kyei Mintah, into the Register of Chiefs.
Documents available indicate that Dr. Joseph Kyei Mintah’s name was expunged from the National Register of Chiefs on January 14, 2012, by a Supreme Court ruling delivered in 2011.
But there have been several attempts by the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs and the National House of Chiefs (NHC) to re-enter his name into the register; an attempt the Royal Agona Family of Akyem Kotoku described as “fraudulent.”
Addressing a press conference in Akyem Oda, the Head of the Royal Agona Family, Abusuapanin Emmanuel Ofori Atta said, there is a pending case at the Kumasi High Court for orders to restrain the National House of Chiefs from entering Kyei Mintah’s name into the register.
He also revealed that an application for interim Injunction filed by the Royal Agona Family against the sinister attempt of gazetting him (Kyei Mintah) was surprisingly refused based upon which the family again filed an appeal and the case is currently before the direction stage at the Kumasi High Court 5.
Meanwhile, the National House of Chiefs, according to Abusuapanin Emmanuel Ofori Atta, is believed to have re-entered Kyei Mensah’s name into the National Register of Chiefs as Omanhene of Akyem Kotoku, even when the matter at the Regional House of Chiefs has not yet been determined.
“Joseph Kyei Mintah cannot and should not be registered as the Omanhene of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area,” he said.
He also indicated that it is only after a judgement has been delivered by the Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs that an Omanhene would be enstooled for the people of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area.
However, checks indicated that the National House of Chiefs decided to re-enter Kyei Mintah’s name in the Register of Chiefs using a ‘fraudulent’ Chieftaincy Declaration (CD) Form which was submitted to it by the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.
The said CD Form was signed even when the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council has not met since 2011 but a panel member on the Judicial Committee who was dealing with the Family’s case at Koforidua and the Omanhene of Kwahu was believed to have been compromised into signing the Research Committee report which they forwarded to the National House for the fraudulent gazette; but none of the elders of the Royal Agona Family clothed with the capacity to sign such document, was made to sign.
It has been established that once the petition and the High Court cases are still pending, the National House of Chiefs cannot and have no right to enter Kyei Mintah’s name into the Register.
It was established during a visit to Akyem Oda last Thursday that, the said Kyei Mintah held a Traditional Committee Meeting in his capacity as the Omanhene against all the Orders from the Court amid heavy police presence.
Attacks and Abuses
This paper has also gathered from the community that Oseadeeyo Frempong Manso (Dr. Joseph Kyei Mintah), who was allegedly brought from nowhere by the Queenmother, Maame Akua Asantewaa to ascend the throne has resorted to the use of thugs, police officers and military men to attack residents of the community who are not in support of his enstoolment.
Narrating their ordeals during the past two weeks, residents of Akyem Oda who spoke to the press mentioned the attacks, physical assaults, and unwarranted arrests amid the shooting of live bullets by the police officers on them and their children.
They alleged that the “illegally installed chief” Kyei Mintah is being given police and military support against poor and unarmed residents which created tension and panic in the community.
Abena Akoto, a mother whose four children were arrested by the police could not hold her tears as she told her story.
According to her, her children were picked up by the police for no reason and two of them were subjected to severe beatings until they lost two of their teeth.
In tears, she said, “My children, four of them were arrested by the police. My 18-year-old boy had to sleep in the cell for two weeks under the orders of Commander Kofi Owusu. Do you think this is fair? What have we done to warrant these attacks? Is this what Nana Addo is superintending over.”
Another mother, whose children suffered the same fate also poured her frustrations out and bitterly stressed that Kyei Mintah is not known and does not hail from the Royal Agona Family of Akyem Kotoku and cannot continue holding himself in that capacity as Omanhene.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
