Nana Afua Nketiaa Obuo II, Okuapehemaa
The Paramount Queenmother of the Akuapem Traditional Area, Nana Afua Nketiaa Obuo II, has challenged the legitimacy of Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III as Okuapehene, describing his installation as “frivolous”.
The lingering chieftaincy dispute within the Akuapem Traditional Area has taken a dramatic turn, as the Paramount Queenmother has strongly refuted claims that she installed Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III as the Okuapehene.
In a firm statement addressing the controversy, Nana Afua Nketiaa Obuo II declared that she has not performed any installation rites for anyone as the Paramount Chief of Akuapem, as prescribed by law, describing reports to that effect as “frivolous and misleading”.
“I haven’t installed him,” she stated. “Whatever Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III is doing cannot amount to anything. His claim that I installed him is completely false,” she insisted.
Odwira Festival Controversy
Nana Afua Nketiaa Obuo II also took issue with reports that Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III performed traditional rites during the Odwira Festival, describing the act as a breach of custom.
“He can even go and celebrate Odwira in Accra, but every traditional area has its own customs. Odwira is special — the Okuapehene must come and perform the rites. That never happened,” she explained.
The Queenmother further criticised the alleged performance of Odwira rites despite the ongoing customary funeral rites of the late Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III, the previous Okuapehene.
“For you to be Okuapehene, and knowing that there is a late Okuapehene traditionally, you must first perform that burial duty before any Odwira celebration, such as the Friday Odwira durbar, can take place,” she said. “What he is saying is child’s play.”
Response
Meanwhile, in a swift response, Osahene Boafo Ansah III, speaking at a counter press conference on behalf of Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III at Akropong, condemned the Queenmother’s comments as “unfortunate, unacceptable, and a threat to their human security.”
He maintained that Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III was lawfully enstooled, and that the Queenmother’s rejection of his authority amounted to an attempt to undermine the peace and unity of the Akuapem State.
Background
The Akuapem chieftaincy crisis has persisted for years, marked by factional divisions, multiple court actions, and disputes over rightful lineage and authority. The death of the late Okuapehene, Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III, deepened the impasse, with rival groups making competing claims to the stool.
The latest exchanges between the Queenmother and Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III highlight the deepening tension in the traditional area, with both camps invoking court rulings and customary laws to justify their positions.
Observers fear that unless swift mediation is initiated, the dispute could further disrupt traditional and cultural activities, including the annual Odwira Festival, and threaten the peace in Akuapem.
