Sunyani Queenmother seeks court intervention to restrain factions from enstooling new chief, tells court she has not nominated anyone

The Queenmother of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Akosua Dua Asor Sika Brayie II, has filed an interlocutory injunction to restrain Yaw Agyare from carrying, styling and conducting himself as Sunyanimanhene in any manner.

The injunction application is also seeking to restrain the Akwamuhene, Nana Kwaku Sarbeng Ababio II, from introducing or parading Yaw Agyare as Paramount Chief of Sunyani Traditional Area in any manner whatsoever.

The application was filed by her lawyer, Kwame Twumasi-Awuah on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Reason 

The injunction application said the Akwamuhene, Nana Sarbeng Ababio II, by custom lacks the capacity to nominate a candidate to occupy the vacant paramount stool of the Sunyani Traditional Area.

It said the purported nomination and installation of Yaw Agyare, a corrections officer, who works in Maryland in the United States of America (USA) under a tree in front of the old palace was contrary to custom and law and same must be set aside.

It said Yaw Agyare was not validly nominated by the queenmother of Sunyani Paramount Stool, therefore he has not acquired or attained chiefly status and could not style himself as Omanhene of Sunyani Traditional Area.

The injunction application said the successor of the late Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II had to be chosen in accordance with custom to be installed as paramount chief.

"By custom I have the customary discretion and privilege to select a candidate from the male members of the royal family to be installed as Omanhene of Sunyani Traditional Area," it said.

It said all seven male royal members of the Boahen Korkor family had applied to be considered for the vacant stool and had presented their customary drinks.

"After receiving the customary drinks I tasked 2nd Respondent (Nana Sarbeng, the Akwamuhene) and others to conduct a background check on the candidates to find out whether they have had an infraction with the law to enable me to make a selection.

"Without my consent and authority 2nd Respondent on 6th January, 2025 installed 1st Respondent (Yaw Agyare) as Omanhene of Sunyani Traditional Council in front of the old palace under a tree with the stool name Odeefuor Ogyeamansan Boahen Korkor II," it said.

Contrary

The application said the purported nomination and installation of Yaw Agyare as Omanhene by Nana Sarbeng was contrary to the honorary custom of Sunyani Traditional Area.

It said the installation process of Sunyani Traditional Area had been published in the Government bulletin as LI.1972 (2010), adding that the nomination and installation of a candidate as paramount chief of Sunyani must be done in accordance with the procedure spelt out in the Legislative Instrument. 

It said the purported installation of Yaw Agyare by the Akwamuhene under a big tree in front of the palace was not done in conformity with  the L.I., and therefore the purported nomination and installation was void ab initio (invalid from the beginning).

"As queenmother, I have the customary privilege and honor to nominate a candidate from the royal family to be installed as paramount chief. Therefore the conduct of 1st Respondent is a complete usurpation of my customary function and role to nominate a candidate from the royal family for the vacant stool," it said.

"The conduct of 2nd Respondent by nominating and installing 1st Respondent as Omanhene of Sunyani under a tree has affected the dignity, aura and sanctity of the stool. Furthermore 2nd Respondent lacked capacity to nominate and installed 1st Respondent as paramount chief of Sunyani therefore the purported nomination and installation is not valid and same must be set aside," it said.

It said Yaw Agyare had not been validly nominated and installed as paramount chief of Sunyani therefore he could not conduct and style himself as paramount chief of Sunyani Traditional Area.

Advice 

"I am advised that a great harm and irreparable damage will be caused to the stool if 1st Respondent who has not been validly nominated and installed as paramount chief in accordance with custom is allowed to style and conduct himself as paramount chief of Sunyani Traditional Area. Therefore 1st Respondent must be restrained on the orders of this committee from conducting and styling himself as paramount chief.

"I am further advised that 2nd Respondent lacked capacity to nominate a candidate to be installed as paramount chief therefore the purported installation of 1st Respondent is contrary to custom therefore he must be restrained from styling and conducting himself as paramount chief," it said.

It said their conduct was against LI 1972 (2010) and prayed that the Committee granted the application for injunction to restrain them.

What happened to deepen the Sunyani stool dispute?

Graphic Online's Biiya Mukusa Ali reports that various gates vying for the vacant Sunyani paramount stool and are embroiled in a fierce succession dispute, last Monday enstooled two persons to succeed the late Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II.

The gates, which have been disputing over who becomes the next Sunyanimanhene, demonstrated their intentions in the open on Monday, January 6, 2025, following the installation of two chiefs.

On the same day, the two factions performed the necessary customary rites and enstooled their preferred successors to the late Sunyanimanhene. 

While one faction installed Yaw Agyare on Monday morning, another also installed one Adom Manu in the evening. 

Interestingly, Graphic Online gathered from the Sunyani Traditional Council that another gate was set to install its claimant to bring the number to three.

Customary rites

Yaw Agyare is a 46-year-old Correctional Officer [prison officer] in the Maryland Community in the USA, with the stool name Odeefuor Ogyeamansan Boahen Korkor II.

On the other hand, Adom Manu, who is based in Sunyani, has the stool name Nana Yaw Twene Amanfo II.

Emergency meeting 

Both factions were set to hold their respective press conferences last Thursday and make their cases to the public. However, the proposed press conferences were suspended at the eleventh hour when the Bono Regional Security Council (REGSEC) stepped in to resolve the issue.

Tension 

The development has brought tension to Sunyani and its surrounding communities.

Residents, including businessmen and women, told the Daily Graphic that they were living in fear over the development.

They explained that the situation could lead to mayhem, mar the otherwise peaceful atmosphere and further affect their businesses.

They, therefore, appealed to stakeholders to swiftly intervene to avert any possible disturbances.

Kingmakers

The two installed chiefs were among the seven contestants presented to kingmakers, led by Nana Sarbeng, for vetting and selection.

The rest were Kofi Owusu, Frank Hall Baidoo, Richard Mensah and Opoku Achamfuor.

However, a press release signed by Nana Sarbeng endorsed Yaw Agyare as the successor to the late Nana Asor Nkrawiri, explaining that all the kingmakers unanimously selected Yaw Agyare after vetting the seven candidates.

It said customary rites were performed on Monday, January 6, 2025, at the old Sunyani palace to enstool him.

Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri, who died in July 2022, was buried in April 2024.