Story: Tim Dzamboe, Tapa-Abotoase
In the midst of pockets of chieftaincy conflicts in certain parts of the country which had attracted large numbers of security personnel to provide security for life and property in recent times, the people of Tapa traditional area, an Akan tribe in the Jasikan district of the Volta Region had successfully sailed through this threat by installing a new paramount chief.
He is Okofrobour Baffour Kwame Asante II who succeeded Ogrohwe Anyenam Kwaku Boateng II who reigned from 1994 to 2006 and passed away last year.
The new Omanahene is known in private life as Lieutenant Commander Isaac Lawrence Anti Ampeh, a retired naval officer of the Ghana Armed Forces. He is 67 years old, married with four children and the 14th occupant to the stool of the Anyeman stool of Tapaman.
The minister of Chieftaincy affairs, Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo did not minced words by congratulating the new Omanhene for being the unanimous choice of the royal kingmakers and further thanked the kingmakers for making a wise choice and selecting the most suitable candidate in the traditional area.
He likened the out-dooring of the new chief as a journey of a thousand miles that had started with a step adding that the new paramount chief had embarked on a journey of local development that could be accomplished with the active support and cooperation from his subjects.
He appealed to kingmakers to compile the procedures for enstooling chiefs in the traditional area stressing that when customary practices were well documented, outsiders would not attempt to usurp the stool in contravention to the rules.
He expressed the hope that the absence of conflict during his nomination and selection and the spontaneous approval by the kingmakers were enough assurances that there is much hope for the steady development of the Tapa area and that would prevent unnecessary litigation regarding chieftaincy and land matters.
Mr Boafo urged all the kingmakers and other opinion leaders in the area to cooperate with the new chief to draw up a development plan for the district.
He appealed that land should be made available at no cost to the new Biakoye district assembly for development projects adding that other parcels of land should be set aside as land banks for allocation to investors.
The minister said that although the coronation was incident-free and peaceful it was pertinent for the new chief to take early steps for the resolution of land related conflicts in order to make the area attractive to big time business executives.
Addressing the function, the Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi announced that a landing site has been earmarked for Tapa Abotoase lakeside market.
He urged the new chief to rally his subjects and consider the construction of a palace to the kingdom.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi who is an honourable Nkosuohene of the area pledged support for the area and urged chiefs not to litigate over the capital chosen for the new Biakoye district and should accept it as chosen by the government.
In an address, Okofrobour Asante said although such installations sparked conflicts in some parts of the country he was proud and happy to say that there was no record of such conflicts in the history of Tapaman.
He urged the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture to enforce the provisions of chieftaincy act particularly section 48 which stated, thus, “A person from the right family and lineage who is nominated, elected, installed as a chief with all the requisite customary laws performed on him with his name in the national register is the only person who can style himself as a chief”.
He expressed the hope that if this provision was strictly followed, the nation will have one of the best chieftaincy institutions in the world, devoid of conflicts and acrimony.
Okrofrobuor Asante pledged to abide by customary practices in the area to sustain the peace throughout his reign.
He appealed to the government to supply the area with pipe borne water as a matter of urgency and that his subjects should take the education of their children, health, sanitation and environment issues very seriously.
In an address, the Krontihene of Tapa, Nana Kwadzo Obrim II, said the peaceful outdooring ceremony testified to the peaceful environment in the area and pledged the support of all chiefs to the new paramount chief to facilitate the steady development of the area, the district, region and the nation as whole.
Present at the function were chiefs and elders from Buem, Nkonya, Worawora, Krachi, Bowiri and Apesokubi traditional areas.
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