A group calling itself the ‘Concerned Youth of New Juaben’ and some sub-chiefs in the New Juaben Traditional Area in the Eastern Region yesterday demonstrated against the Omanhene of the area, Daasebre Prof (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, for his alleged autocratic rule. The group said the Omanhene’s dictatorial tendencies, coupled with his divide and rule tactics, had led to a complete breakdown of morality and traditional norms in the New Juaben traditional area, which incidentally is the capital of the Eastern Region. Divisional and sub-chiefs such as Nseniefohene Nana Yaw Annor Boateng; Abesimhene Nana Akwasi Adarkwa; Asenemahene Nana Otuo Siriboe Boateng; Gyaasehene of Suhyen, Nana Kwame Yeboah; Kyidomhene elect, Nana Yaw Boateng; and Nkonguasoahene Nana Kyei Yamoah II, took part in the demonstration which preceded a news conference by the group. The demonstrators carried placards, some of which read, “Daasebre Emeritus step down to avoid further disgrace”, “Emeritus: no way again, step down”, “Oti, you are not above the Golden Stool” and “Emeritus, where is the 11-acre land for the new palace?” According to the spokesperson for the group, Nana Yaw Annor Boateng, Daasebre Oti Boateng had thrown customs and tradition to the dogs and was doing things which were against the letter and spirit of the Ashanti traditions. They alleged that the Omanhene, who is also president of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, had intentionally made divisional chiefs like Kyidomhene, Ankobeahene, Mawerehene, Akyeamehene, Daamanhene, Dwantoahene, Ntrahene and Kubeasehene dysfunctional and ineffective to enable him to create parallel stools with little or no regard to the Asantehene, who is the embodiment of creation of new stools. “Some existing stools in the New Juaben Traditional Area have been re-branded and elevated by the Omanhene without regard to the history and reasons behind their original creation and current status,” the spokesperson said.