Nana Ekow Sekum, new chief of Brenu Akyinim
The atmosphere at Brenu Akyinim, a farming community in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region was on Saturday charged when the kingmakers and people of the area gathered to destool their chief, Obrempong Kow Mensah.
The people cheered and applauded their elders as they announced the immediate destoolment of their chief for refusing to honour the invitation of the elders on three consecutive occasions to discuss the development of the area.
The enthusiastic residents went wild in jubilation when 49-year-old Nana Ekow Sekum, a South Korea-based technician and native of the area was introduced as the new chief.
Addressing a gathering at Brenu Akyinim during a short press briefing to announce to the media their decision, the Ebusuapanyin of the kingmakers, Kojo Samankwam, stated that Obrempong Kow Mensah was installed in 1982 but his attitude had caused a lot of misunderstanding.
According to him, Obrempong Kow Mensah had allegedly dismissed all the 43 stool elders in the community and formed his own elders consisting of seven persons whom he sought advice from and deliberated with.
He added that even though there were elders in the community, the chief did not consult them on issues concerning the community and rather relied on his seven people and took decisions without informing the elders.
Ebusuapanyin Samankwam pointed out that Brenu Akyinim was a deprived community which was in dire need of social amenities but the chief did not care about the plight of his people since he did not live in the community and did not come to the area.
He said the elders of the area wanted to invite him for discussions on the development of the area but all three invitations sent to him were never honoured without any explanations.
He indicated that the chief’s action was a sign of gross disrespect to the elders who had installed him chief.
The ebusuapanyin revealed that when he was installed, the chief swore to respond anytime he was called upon, adding that it was therefore a taboo for him to refuse the call of the elders on three occasions.
He explained that tradition demanded that a chief be destooled in that regard hence their decision to destool him for turning his back on them at a time they needed him the most.
He stated that they did not know the whereabouts of their chief and expressed the hope that he would hear the news about his destoolment on the various media channels and advise himself.
Ebusuapanyin Samankwam disclosed that several attempts made by the elders to see the chief one-on-one to give him the news and perform the right destoolment rite by removing his sandals had proved futile as a summon served him through the Asebu traditional council to meet his elders was also disregarded.
He has therefore warned Obrempong Kow Mensah to desist from carrying himself as chief of the area, adding that a colourful ceremony would soon be organized to outdoor the new chief.
From: Sarah Owusu-Darlington, Brenu Akyinim
