Nana Afena Nketiah II, and Oseadeeyo Ameyaw Akumfi in a picture.
No fewer than ten aspirants are jostling for the job of member of Council of State. They are Agyapong Adu-Baah; Nana Afena Nketiah II (Fred Zeini), Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, Obrempong Kru-Takyi II and Pimampim Yaw Kagbrese V, Alhassan Sulemana, Prince Amponsah, Nana Owusu Gyima, Gyabaah Nsiah, and Godwin Kwadwo Amoako.
The battle is already causing ripples in the Bono East Chieftaincy institution as five out of the ten contestants are chiefs and members of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs. And four out of the five chiefs are members of the Techiman Traditional Council.
The three frontline contenders are, Pimapim Yaw Kabrese IV, Yeji Manhene and the President of Bono East Regional House of Chiefs, Oseadeeyo Ameyaw Akumfi IV, the Paramount Chief of the Techiman Traditional Area, and Nana Afena Nketiah II (Fred Zeini), Twafo hene of Techiman Traditional Council.
Our investigations shows that Oseadeeyo Ameyaw Akumfi IV, the Paramount Chief of the Techiman Traditional Area, Pimapim Yaw Kabrese IV, Yeji Manhene and the President of Bono East Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Afena Nketiah ii (Fred Zeini), Twafohene of Techiman Traditional Council, Gyima Nana Owusu, Atebubu Amanteng manhene, and Obrempong Kru-Takyi, Abaase manhene are at loggerheads over who represents the region at the Council of State.
Nana Afena Nketiah with Oseadeeyo Ameyaw when he was called to the Bar
It’s unclear why sub chiefs would take pride in contesting the President of their Traditional Council.
Some residents who spoke to this paper on condition of strict anonymity attributed the number of chiefs contesting the Paramount Chief to his inability to stay clear from partisan and tribal politics.
‘Nana Techiman manhene, has demonstrated above any reasonable doubt that he is not comfortable seeing any other person/tribe on his soil take position of leadership apart from indigenes’.
‘Ameyaw Akumfi IV is gasping for breath in the contest because the open hatred shown non-indigens before, during, and after the 2020 general elections.
For others, it is his comeuppance.
It is alleged that the Electoral College was skewed to favour him (Ameyaw Akumfi IV) because he is enjoying government’s endorsement, but luck eluded him as some three Assembly Members have injuncted the elections.
The three Assembly Members; Afolabi Kennedy, Issah Mubarack, and Paul Adu Frimpong are challenging the legalities of the Electoral College.
They argued that the Electoral College is an affront to the Constitution of the Republic, and unconscionable to elected members of the eleven Metropolitan and District Assemblies in the region.
A Sunyani High Court has since restricted the Bono East Electoral Commission (EC) from conducting member of Council of State elections for the region slated for February 12, 2021.
As a result, Bono East is the only region that couldn’t vote to elect a member for the Council of State of the court order.
A political watcher thinks Bono East is gradually becoming a citadel of electoral lawlessness. ‘It is not good for a newly created region. Rather than focusing on development, Bono East is gaining notoriety as nonconformists.
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