The kingmakers of Osu have through their legal counsel, Edgar Ansah-Obiri Esq., of Ansah-Obiri Legal Consult has written to the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs (Dodowa) cautioning them to tread cautiously in their dealings with the ‘Osu Mantse’ Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI (a.k.a Michael Owoo from Ga faasee Gbese Div.)
The rancour and brouhaha currently surrounding the Osu Stool reveals that the sitting Chief Nii Kinka Dowuona VI is occupying the stool by virtue of a certain gazette he obtained whilst the accredited customarily recognized Chief of Osu, Nii Nortey Owuo III, remains un-destooled and still alive.
On 29th December 1984, Mr. David Nortey Ashong was duly installed as the Osu Mantse under the stool name Nii Nortey Owuo III, after the nullification of the reign of Nii Nortei Owuo III (a.k.a Chief Jonathan). He became entitled to exercise statutory powers under section 48, Chieftaincy Act 1971 and was gazzeted.
However, on 15th August 1986, by a local government bulletin, the PNDC government published that it had withdrawn its recognition of Nii Nortey Owuo III.
Therefrom, the Osu Mankralo Nii Ako Nortei IV claimed the Osu Stool had thus become vacant, declared himself the acting Osu Mantse and proceeded to do businesses in the name of the stool.
But, this move by the Mankralo was challenged vigorously by the Kingmakers of Osu led by Nii Nortey Owuo III from the High Court up to the supreme Court of Ghana, where he lost and was even cited for contempt in an attempt to install a rivalry Chief after the superior court of the land decision, which he has no traditional power to do so because the Mankralo is not a member of the kingmakers or the Dzaase.
At recent hearing of the case filed against the Mankralo and the ‘Osu Mnatse’ at the Regional House of Chiefs in Dodoowa, the Mankralo was on record to have made a written statement that it was a mistake on his part to have involved himself in the installation of Nii Kinka Dowuona VI and pleaded for forgiveness.
However, the same person is again on record to have sworn allegiance to Nii Kinka Dowuona VI in what many elders of Osu suspect to be a clear connivance to sell Osu Stool lands as was in the case of the botched Achimota/GIMPA land sale.
Currently, there is a major case sitting at the Gt. Accra Regional House of Chiefs and the Supreme Court where Nii Owuo III is alleging fraud and challenging the capacity of Nii Kinka Dowuona VI as the Osu Mantse purportedly installed on a non- vacant Osu Stool.
It is however worthy of notice that a new Chief can only be installed when the sitting Chief passes on or a proper customary de-stoolment or adjudicated to render the stool vacant.
In a letter signed by lawyer Ansah-Obiri and copied to both the Registrar and the President of the Regional House of Chiefs, it said, “our clients have had cause to be concerned about some recent development in the House which has the tendency of compromising their matter and other pending cases before the House… and that Nii Kinka Dowuona VI has been sitting as panel member on matters akin to his that is before the house”.
Again, lawyer Ansah-Obiri indicated that his clients have learnt with shock that the same person whose legitimacy is being challenged at the Supreme Court and at the same time their very outfit (Regional House of Chiefs) is canvassing for the position of the President of the august House.
According to the lawyer, he was by the letter drawing the attention of the House to use its internal mechanism to stop Nii Kinka Dowuona VI immediately before his clients pursue this course with all the legal rights at their disposal.
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