By Godwin Owusu Frimpong
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has decisively destooled the chief of Ohwim, Nana Kusi Baaye II, after a damning indictment by the Kumasi Traditional Council. The chief was found guilty of grave offences including desecrating the sacred Great Oath, engaging in illegal land sales and mining (“galamsey”), and extortion, ending his 16-year reign.
The most serious charge concerned the violation of the Great Oath, a profound symbol of truthfulness and fealty to the Asantehene. Nana Kusi Baaye II was found to have accepted bribes to provide false testimony in a chieftaincy dispute, betraying his oath of office and undermining the authority of the Golden Stool.
Further accusations piled up against the disgraced chief, including allegations of selling communal and even cemetery land, and engaging in destructive illegal mining activities under the guise of royal approval. A former Biemso Dikro (village chief) testified that Nana Kusi Baaye II seized land meant for a solar project and instead ravaged it with “galamsey,” leaving the area devastated.
The Ohwimhene also faced accusations of hostility and intimidation, including the alleged burning of a rival chief’s property, leading to his death, and the wrongful destoolment of the Biemso Dikro. Additionally, family members accused him of neglecting traditional stool rites due to his newfound Christian faith and challenged his very right to the chieftaincy.
Faced with overwhelming evidence and unanimous calls for his removal, the Asantehene declared his verdict, emphasizing the sanctity of the Great Oath and his unwavering commitment to protecting the Golden Stool. “Many have sacrificed to protect the Golden Stool, I won’t allow you to destroy it,” he stated, before ordering the rites for destoolment and reinstating the former Biemso Dikro. The move sends a clear message about the Asantehene’s zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of power within the Ashanti Kingdom.
Godwin Owusu Frimpong
