Asantehene Accuses Bono Regional Minister of Political Meddling in Sampa Chieftaincy
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has launched a sharp rebuke against the Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, accusing him of using his political office to interfere in the settled chieftaincy affairs of Sampa.
Speaking with firm authority at the final Asanteman Council meeting of the year at the Manhyia Palace on Monday, December 15, the King declared he would not allow political machinations to destabilize the traditional area.
His ire was directed squarely at the Regional Minister, whom he revealed was previously the lawyer for the losing claimant in the Sampa chieftaincy dispute—a case he stated had been definitively resolved by his own judicial authority as the occupant of the Golden Stool. “Now he is the regional minister and he is using his position to do whatever pleases him,” Otumfuo stated, referencing the Minister. “He has been writing letters to the government claiming there is a chieftaincy problem in the area, when there is none, and his false allegations seem to have been accepted.”
The Asantehene’s comments highlight a tense intersection of politics and tradition, suggesting the Minister is leveraging his governmental role to reopen a closed chapter.
Abuse of power
He framed the actions as an abuse of power that works against the interest of the people. “You cannot take up a political position and use it against the people,” he asserted.
Vowing to pursue the matter relentlessly, Otumfuo told the gathering of traditional leaders, “I will not rest on this matter and will continue to voice it out until the right thing is done.”
Patience
He appealed for patience from the people of Sampa, assuring them of his impartiality and commitment to truth.
“I do not love one and hate the other. I only stand for the truth,” he said,
Background
The Sampa traditional area, located in the Bono Region, falls under the wider jurisdiction of the Asantehene, who serves as the ultimate arbitrator in chieftaincy matters within the Asanteman domain.
