Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng III takes oath as Kwahu paramount chief

The beautiful town of Abene which lies on the lofty Kwahu Mountains, was full of excitement last Saturday when a 54-year-old Civil Engineer, Baffour Akoto Osei, was enstooled as the new Paramount Chief of the Kwahu Traditional Area.

Baffour, from the Etena family of Nkwatia, has now assumed the stool name Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng III and succeeds Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II, who was destooled late last year after ruling for seven years.

The colourful ceremony brought to light traditional dances, as well as cultural displays and customs depicting the rich traditions of the chiefs and people of the area.

The atmosphere in the town was euphoric and there were policemen to ensure law and order.

Kingmakers, customary rites

The four kingmakers who enstooled the new Kwahumanhene are the Krontihene of Abene, Nana Simpe Wiredu III; Akyeamehene of Abene, Nana Asiedu Kwabeng; Baamuhene of Abene, Nana Ntim Sampong II, and the Werempehene of Abene, Baffour Kyerefuor Nyarko I.

As early as 6 a.m., all the necessary customary rites were performed at Etena Bretuo Ahenfie, amid traditional drumming, singing and dancing through the principal streets of Abene.

The procession ended up at the Etena Bretuo Ahenfie, the seat of the paramountcy where Akyemfuo Asiedu Agyeman III administered the oath of allegiance to Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng III.

The oath of allegiance was sworn before the Abetifihene who is also the Adontenhene of the area and acting Kwahumanhene, Akyemfuo Asiedu Agyeman III.

After the rites, Akyemfuo Agyeman advised the new Omanhene to serve the people in the traditional area diligently.

He urged the new Omanhene not to lord it over the people and appealed to the other sub-chiefs and the people of the area to support him for the betterment of the traditional area.

Pray for new Omanhene

Akyemfuo Agyeman, therefore, asked the people to continue to pray for the new chief to succeed in whatever he did to improve their living conditions.

The Adontenhene, who called for unity and togetherness among the chiefs and people, appealed to the new Paramount Chief to help bring more development to the area.

For his part, Daasebre Boateng expressed appreciation to the kingmakers for selecting him for the stool and asked for God's blessings. He pledged to work with the chiefs and people to develop the traditional area.

The new Kwahumanhene pledged to be truthful and sincere to the chiefs and people. He asked for their support to improve their socio-economic conditions.

Chiefs

Prominent dignitaries who graced the occasion included a representative from the Office of former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, the Abetifihene, who is also the Adontenhene of the Kwahu Traditional Area, Akyemfuo Asiedu Agyeman III, and the Kwahu Tafohene and Kwafuohene of the area, Nana Opoku Mintah II.

Others were Kwahu Aduamoahene and Benkumhene of the area, Nana Ahiatutu Brempong II; Kwahu Pepeasehene, also the Kyidomhene, Nana Bonsu Ayirepe, and the Kwahu Queenmother, Nana Adwoa Gyamfua III.

One significant highlight was the display of Akan traditional drums, musical instruments, and tunes from the traditional area to the applause of dignitaries who had come from all parts of the country and the general public.

Background

A royal of the Etena Clan of Nkwatia, Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng is a chartered civil engineer, real estate developer, project manager and shipping executive with over 28 years of industrial experience.

He obtained his Ordinary and Advanced level certificates at St Peters Secondary School (1988/1990), and a BSc Civil Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) – 1996 – as well as an MSc Civil Engineering from the London South Bank University – 2002.

He is a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers and an Associate Member of the Association of Project Managers.

Baffour is the founder and currently the Chief Executive Officer of three companies – the Turner Marine Limited, a transshipment and shipping company operating in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Singapore; GHS Engineering Limited, Ghana, a civil engineering and road construction company, and GHS Housing Limited, an estate development company.

Earlier, Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng worked with Lift & Escalator Structures, Tube Lines Limited and Halcrow Group Limited, both in the United Kingdom (UK). He also worked on a number of projects across the country.

Writer's   email: haruna.wunpini@graphic.com.gh