The Asanteman council has reaffirmed its support and recognition for the new chief of Kumawu, Barima Sarfo Tweneboah Kodua.

The council has also vowed to expose and punish individuals and groups behind the recent disturbances in the town arising from the installation of a rival chief.

After a protracted litigation, which lasted for seven years, Barima Sarfo Tweneboah Kodua known in private life as Dr. Yaw Sarfo was installed on October 30, 2014 and swore the oath of allegiance to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace, on November 3, last year.

However three kingmakers, the Aduanahene Nana Sarfo Agyekum, Akwamuhene Nana Akwasi Baffoe and the Akyempimhene Nana Okyere Krapah from the Ananaya clan insisted Dr. Sarfo was an imposition and therefore would not accept him.

But the Asantehene’s Maawerehene Baffour Osei Hyiemang says the council was shocked at the decision of the three chiefs since the matters they raised have duly been resolved by the council and all parties agreed to abide by the outcome.

“First they came to plead with the Asantehene to allow their choice accepted and when the facts were made known, they questioned the lineage of the Kumawu queenmother Nana Serwaa Amponsah of the Ankase royal gate before the Asanteman council but they were unable to provide evidence to back their claim after the queenmother had shown evidence relating to her family tree,” the Maawerehene disclosed to the media.

Video footage available from all meetings concerning the Kumawu chieftaincy issue showed all sides being given the opportunity to state their case before the Asanteman council chaired by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The Queenmother Nana Serwaa Amponsah and Dr. Yaw Sarfo were again accused of being outsiders with no royal blood to the stool.

In the course of the hearing which started in 2013, the Akwamuhene Nana Kwasi Baffoe and the Kontihene who died under strange circumstances recently, took the council through the ancestral tree of the Tweneboah Kodua clan and made a strong claim why their choice should be accepted.

The 38 member council after listening to the narration of the queenmother accepted her choice with only two chiefs dissenting.

“This was a collective decision by the Asanteman council and accepted by the Asantehene and eventhough a finality was brought to the issue, Dr. Sarfo had to perform the necessary rituals at Kumawu before coming back to the Manhyia palace to swear the oath of allegiance before the King and now he holds the black stool of Kumawu,” Maawerehene added.

It will be recalled that a rival chief installed by the Kontihene undertook a procession within Kumawu during the Akwasidae although Barima Sarfo Tweneboah Kodua had sat in state to observe the festival. This development brought about tension in Kumawu which forced the security agencies to act to restore calm in the area.

While describing the action of the late Kontihene faction in the chieftaincy issue as “unfortunate and affront” to the traditions of Asanteman, Maawerehene Baffour Osei Hyiemang said those behind the disturbances will be exposed and punished in accordance with tradition and the law. ‘

“These are disgruntled individuals who will not go unpunished more especially when they had all accepted the Asanteman council’s decision, and let me also say that at some point they took the matter to court and it was thrown out. They also said they were not against the verdict and raised issues with the procedure and therefore the council was shocked by their action.

“Information available suggests some of the kingmakers who masterminded the procession at Kumawu during the Akwasidae have deserted the town,” he narrated.

Kumawuhene Barima Sarfo Tweneboah Kodua was in his full traditional regalia and paid homage to the Asantehene at last weekend’s 80^th anniversary of the Asante confederacy held at the Manhyia palace.