The Kingmakers of the Osu Stool have filed a petition against three persons at the Judicial Committee of the Regional House of Chiefs to seek an order to set aside the purported enstoolment of one Bernard Nii Nortey Botchway as Osu Mantse as being null and void.
The petition was filed by the Dzasetse, Nii Saban Atsen VII, the Head of the Owuo We Royal Family, Edward Nortey Noi and the Head of the Dowuona Royal Family, William Nortey Dowuona against Nii Nortey Adumua IV known in private life as Ishmael Nortey Adumuah, David Lantei Odartey, a.k.a Nii Odartey SRO III and Bernard Nii Nortey Botchway a. k. a. Nii Nortey Owuo IV, the documents stated.
Other claims being sought against the respondents are a perpetual injunction restraining the said Bernard Nii Nortey Botchway from holding himself as Osu Mantse or any persons or institutions or bodies from recognizing or holding Bernard Nii Nortey Botchway as Osu Mantse or enter his name in the National Register of Chiefs as the Osu Mantse.
According to the petition, the heads of Adukpono, Odartey Sro, Teinor We and Adjuate We families constitute the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase which the 1st Petitioner, Nii Saban Atsen II is the head.
“Apart from the heads of the four families named above, other members of the Osu Dzaase are the Atofotse and the Osiahene of Osu,” the petition stated.
The petition said that upon the death of the late Osu Mantse, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, the Osu Kinka We Dzaase appointed Nii Ako Nortei IV to act as Osu Mantse who also passed on for which the Dzaase appointed Nuumo Noi Osikan III (Osu Klottey Wulomo) as the acting Mantse until a substantive Osu Mantse was appointed.
The petition stated that on the 6th day of January, 2022 the respondents claimed to be representing the Osu Kinka We Dzaase on a letter head to the District Command, Osu Police Command informing the police about respondents’ intention to enstool a new Osu Mantse.
The petition added that the 1st and 2nd Respondents, Nii Nortey Adamua IV and David Lantei Odartey respectively, subsequently claimed to have enstooled the 3rd Respondent Bernard Botchway as the Osu Mantse, without the petitioners and contrary to Osu customs and traditions, particularly, without the involvement of the Osu Klottey Wulomo and outside the Owuo We Royal House at Osu Amantra.
“The 1st and 2nd respondents went ahead to purportedly enstool the 3rd Respondent as Osu Mantse in breach of Osu customs and traditions during the pendency of a petition and a motion for injunction seeking to prevent them from doing so,” the petition stated.
The petition added that upon the death of Nii Kinka Dowuona VI, one David Ashong held himself as Osu Mantse under the Stool name, Nii Nortey Owuo III, who purported to have abdicated the Osu Stool for the 3rd Respondent, Bernard Nii Nortey Botchway.
The petition added that when Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona was alive, the said David Ashong held himself as Osu Mantse and litigated several cases against the late Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona and the elders of Osu but was not successful.
“Meanwhile the Ollenu Committee established during the PNDC era in the year 1985 declared the purported enstoolment of Nii Nortey Owuo III, as Osu Mantse a nullity and void ab initio for not being in accordance with Osu customs particularly without any rites being performed for him by the Osu Klottey Wulomo,” the petition stated.
It added that the 2nd Respondent who claims to be the Atofotse of Osu is not the Atofotse of Osu and has been perpetually restrained by the Judicial Committee of the Osu Traditional Council from holding himself as the Atofotse of Osu.
It said the 1st Respondent was on or about March, 2021 enstooled as Osiahene of Osu by the Osu Kinka We Dzaase.
The petitioners, therefore, requested the Committee to make a declaration that it is “only the Osu Kinka We Dzaase led by the 1st Petitioner as the Dzasetse of Osu, who are the Kingmakers of Osu that could request a candidate from the appropriate Royal House, select and enstool Osu Mantse”.
The petitioners are also seeking a declaration that the 1st and 2nd Respondents have no capacities to enstool the 3rd Respondent or any other person as Osu Mantse
In a related development, the Dzaase has also cautioned against what they describe as schemes by some persons to enter the name of Bernard Nii Nortey Botchway into the National Register of Chiefs as the Chief of Osu.
In a letter addressed to the Registrar of the National House of Chiefs, lawyers of Osu Kinkawe Dzaase, Kingmakers of the Osu Paramount Stool stated that “…the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase, headed by Nii Saban Atsen VII the only kingmakers of the Osu Paramount Stool have not enstooled the said Prof. Bernard Nii Nortey Botchway as the Osu Mantse”.
The letter stated that the Kingmakers have filed a petition at the Judicial Committee of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs seeking to nullify the purported enstoolment of the said Prof. Bernard Nii Nortey Botchway as Osu Mantse and to prevent his name from being entered in the National Register of Chiefs as Osu Mantse.