The Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area has accused the Paramount Chief of the Abuakwa Traditional Area Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin of excluding New Juaben from the list of Divisional Chiefs submitted to the National House of chiefs.

Daasebre Professor (Emeritus) Oti Boateng says the Okyehene, under the pretext of restructuring, is saturating the membership of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs (ERHC) with Divisional Chiefs that favour him.

According to him, provisions of the Chieftaincy Act does not discriminate among Paramount Chiefs however, the Okyehene by this move is breaching the Act.

“The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, is playing a highly risky game in a unilateral and needless restructuring of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs (ERHC).

“So far, he has failed to present any tangible reason why the ERHC must be
restructured. The ERHC has maintained the same membership of eleven (11) Paramount Chiefs for over half-a-century and has worked well under various Presidents of the House including his predecessor, Osagyefuo Kuntunkununku II,” Daasebre Oti Boateng said in a statement.

Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin submitted a new list of Divisional Chiefs to the National House of chiefs.

According to Daasebre Oti-Boateng, the leadership of the New Juaben Traditional area, (which he says have always been part of discussions on such matters) was not consulted before the decision was taken.

He adds that it was after the list was presented by the Okyehene that it became clear that Chiefs from the New Juaben Traditional Area were exempted.

He says this should not be so because the Chieftancy Act accords all traditional areas in the region same privileges, however, the Okyenhene has side-stepped the Chieftaincy Act by allocating sixteen (16) Divisional Chiefs from his Paramountcy as new members in the proposed restructured House while allocating only between three (3) and seven (7) members to other paramountcies.

“This is a complete nonstarter; nothing calls for it. Curiously, the New Juaben Traditional Area, which includes the capital of the Eastern Region, Koforidua, was completely ignored with no allocation at all to the Paramountcy.

He, therefore, wants the Okyenhene to provide the rationale for the “unpardonable omission.”