The chiefs and people of Okuapeman Traditional Area in Eastern Region have installed Odehye Patience Awo Praa Akoto as the new paramount queen mother to succeed the late Nana Dokua, who died in July 2016.
Mrs. Patience Dorothy Awo Agyekum, according to tradition, is the daughter of Nana Ansah Kwoa, IV, the chief of Adumasa of the Akwamu Traditional Area.
The Akropong royals stormed the residence of Nana Ansah Kwoa IV to request for the daughter to be installed as queen mother after the necessary custom and traditions were performed.
The new Okuapemhema, Odehye Awo Praa Akoto, whose stool name is yet to be announced, was born on March 27, 1944 at Ashanti-Mampong to Rev. Daniel Joshua Mireku Agyekum and Mrs. Ellen Bertha Mireku Agyekum, both of blessed memory.
Odehye Akoto, whose mother is a descendant of the Nketiah Family, is a great granddaughter of Afua Nketia Obuo, the 16th queen mother of the Akuapem Traditional area.
Odehye Akoto’s grandmother was Akua Oye, the 18th queen mother of Akuapem.
Odehye Awo Praa Akoto, a former headteacher of Danpat Stars Academy, had her basic education at Accra New town and middle school at the Presbyterian Training College Demonstration School, Akropong – Akuapem.
Odehye Patience Dorothy Awo Praa Akoto, who has four children, is married to Ohenenana Daniel Akoto, a pharmacist by profession and a grandson of the late Omanhene Okra Akoto of the Akwamu traditional area.
The new Okuapemhemaa, as gathered, has many achievements, traveled across the globe and established an Educational Fund to give awards and scholarships to many needy but brilliant students.
The kingmakers, as gathered, have kept the new Okuapemhema in doors and would take her through the necessary customs and duties for weeks before she would be outdoored to the public and given a stool name.
After the unveiling of the queen mother, the kingmakers would hold the necessary consultations and select a new Paramount chief for the traditional council to also succeed the late Oseadeyo Addo Dankwa III who ruled the Akuapem State for 35 years.
Prior to his demise, Oseadeyo Addo Dankwa III served as a Member of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, member of National House of Chiefs and also part of the Research Committee at the National House of Chiefs from 1990-1994.
He was also the Chairman of the Publicity Committee National House of Chiefs 1990-1994 and President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs 1994-2000.
In 1994, a misunderstanding between Akropong and Abiriw resulted in a break-up of the Akuapem State, with the Nifa, the Benkum and Adonten divisions deciding not to pay allegiance to the Ofori Kuma Stool headed by Oseadeyo Addo Dankwa.
Various overtures by religious and political leaders to resolve the problem yielded very little results during the tenure of the then Eastern Regional Minister, Helen Ntoso, who intensified the efforts.
Fortunately, the three divisions agreed on August 27, 2013 to pay allegiance to the Ofori Kuma Stool, and for the first time in 20 years all the divisions in the Akuapem State participated in the Akuapem Odwira in 2014.
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