Principal kingmakers and accredited elders of Gomoa Fetteh Royal Stool in the Central Region have exposed the Gomoa Fetteh Mankrado, Nana Kwesi Kwansah II, popularly known as Kwasi Alhaji and challenged his legality to ascend the throne of Gomoa Fetteh Royal Mankrado Stool.
They rhetorically asked if Kwasi Alhaji claimed to be the legitimate person to ascend the throne why is it that the ceremony to officially swear him in into the folds of chiefs and traditional office holders of Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Council was traditionally and customarily performed in a private house of Paramount (Omanhene) Chief of Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area, Obrifo Ahunako Ahor Ankobea II at Buduatta.
In a brouhaha reported by Onua FM on October 6, 2022, Royal Secretary to the Gomoa Fetteh Stool, Nana Essel, Kwasi Alhaji took a jab at each other in attempts to legitimize their claims.
Nana Essel asserted “Gomoa is a Fante state, thus Akan and our succession are matrilineal. Therefore, Gomoa Fetteh’s customs are founded on the aforementioned principles and any attempt to deceive the general public, particularly residents, businesses, landowners, and developers in Gomoa Fetteh and its enclaves is criminal and a recipe for the continued hardships our people have been chastised with over decades.”
In a response, Kwasi Alhaji himself refused to speak directly on the matter and assigned his “aide” to comment.
Following this development, Nana Manso also known simply as Eric addressed the allegations against the embattled Kwasi Alhaji.
“Kwasi Alhaji has been properly nominated and installed as Mankrado of Gomoa Fetteh. He has advanced to the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Council which is the Paramountcy to swear allegiance to the Omanhene, Obrifo Ahunako Ahor Ankobia II. We did all this following the Chieftaincy Act,” he added.
To bring transparency into the matter, he noted that “we followed up with the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Council in Gomoa Assin.”
He noted that “to our dismay, the Palace was closed as a result of an ongoing destoolment of the Omanhene himself, which is pending at the Central Regional House of Chiefs and led by the Omanhemaa, Obaatanpa Ama Eduwa I, Principal Ebusuapanyin of the Asona Royal Family at Buduatta as well as Elders and Divisional Chiefs in the traditional area.
After interacting with some residents, it was exposed that before the customary rites performed by the Kingmakers of the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area to destool the Omanhene, Obrifo Ahunako Ahor Ankobia II, he had abandoned the Akyempim Palace which is the seat of the traditional government.
This paper further contacted the Guantuahen, Nana Osuan Asare who doubles as the Chief of Gomoa Abonyin and revered member of the Traditional Council to ascertain all the claims made by both parties.
He added “Swearing in ceremonies are sacred and always performed at Akyempim which is the traditional capital (Ahenkro) of the traditional area.
He said “The council, therefore, notifies all members who are partakers in such sacred ceremonies, particularly our Omanhemaa.”
This paper contacted Obaatanpa Ama Eduwa I to find out if she was aware of such a ceremony and unfortunately she is not aware of any such event.
Rather, she reminded this paper that there were allegations of the Omanhene swearing in a de facto group of people who are well known for terror activities in the Fetteh enclaves and shared videos of the Omanhene swearing Kwasi Alhaji and Kofi Baah in his private residence at Buduatta with the help of some of his followers.”
Nana Guantuahen added that the incident is part of the reasons why the Omanhene has been traditionally removed and a destoolment petition of over 10 charges has been leveled against him at the Central Regional House of Chiefs in Cape Coast.