info@businessghana.com
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has kicked against the proposal to include queenmothers in the sittings of regional and national houses of chiefs.
While recognising the critical role of queen mothers in the selection of chiefs and offering of advice to them, he said, “per our customs and traditions, queenmothers play their role privately and not publicly”.
“Asanteman’s customs and traditions are that queenmothers have the authority to select chiefs and counsel them privately while the chiefs deliberate and speak publicly on everyone’s behalf,” he stressed.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was speaking during the end-of-year meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs last Friday, at Manhyia in Kumasi.
As part of the meeting, a Justice of the High Court Judge, Justice Hannah Taylor, officially swore in the Kwamanghene, Nana Debrah Boateng Bediako, to become a full member of the house.
The Asantehene’s submission followed a proposal to include queen mothers in the activities of the houses of chiefs as part of amendments to the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759).
He stated that customs and traditions differed from one place to another, emphasising that the culture of Asanteman is entirely different from others, saying, “let us not create laws that affect everyone irrespective of the differences in customs and traditions”.
“Let no one create laws to change our traditions and customs that already exist.
There are others who subscribe to patrilineal, while Asantes are matrilineal. Both must be respected and allowed to operate,” he stated.
He said, “We respect queen mothers for the pivotal role they play in selecting us. All of us sitting here were selected by queen mothers and our custom is that they advise us behind the scenes and not in the full glare of the public”.
The Asantehene warned against any attempt to change the already established customs and traditions of Asanteman, saying, “I will not allow anyone to alter our existing customs and traditions”.
He stated that the creation of the houses of chiefs is not part of their culture and that no one should make an attempt to change Asanteman’s culture, stressing “as Asantehene and the occupant of the golden stool, I will cancel any rule made in that regard”.
“No one should come up with such a rule to include queenmothers in the sittings of the house of chiefs.
I will not allow such a situation to happen as it is at variance with our customs and traditions,” he said
Reacting to a report by the Lands Commission on encroachment around the Owabi Dam, which supplies water to some parts of the region, he blamed key stakeholders for looking on while such a situation occurred.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu indicated that it was established law that buildings should not be constructed close to water bodies.
Yet, the Lands Commission, the Ghana Water Limited and others sat down to allow it to happen.
He called for strong collaboration between the chiefs in the area and the relevant state institutions in safeguarding the dam, stressing “we have to protect the dam for it to continue to supply water to us”.
