Residents of Mpatasie in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti region have raised concerns over the disappearance of royal ornaments and regalia considered integral to the community’s heritage.
According to some residents, the missing artefacts preserved for generations must be returned to the town’s stool house to avert what they fear could be a looming calamity.
An opinion leader and member of the royal family, Mr. Kwadwo-Bi, alleged in an interview on Sunday that the items went missing following an incident involving the community’s chief, Nana Kofi Asante Amorben.
He claimed the chief forcibly entered the black stool room during the day to remove the main black stool, an act he described as a violation of long-standing cultural norms.
“The black stool, by tradition, is not supposed to be brought out during the day. However, the chief broke into the room in broad daylight in an attempt to relocate it,” Mr. Kwadwo-Bi said.
He further alleged that the action occurred despite a directive from the Asantehene instructing the chief to allow the stool to remain in its designated room.
Mr. Kwadwo-Bi also accused the chief of disregarding the Asantehene’s Great Oath, stating that efforts by elders to invoke the oath to halt the removal were ignored. He called for an immediate investigation into the matter.
In addition, he claimed that the chief has, for more than five years, failed to install a queen mother for the community despite the availability of qualified candidates, alleging that all attempts to address the issue have been blocked.
However, the Linguist of the Mpatasie community, Okyeame Osei, rejected the allegations, insisting that the chief has committed no wrongdoing. He stated that issues concerning the Great Oath have already been resolved and maintained that the installation of a queen mother remains the sole prerogative of the chief.
The matter has heightened tensions in the community, with residents calling for clarity and accountability over the missing regalia.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
