The Oshiahene of Osu, in the Greater Accra region, Nii Nortey Adumuah IV, and a restrained Atofotse of the area, Nii Odartey Sro III, are under investigation by Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for allegedly forging the letterhead of the Kinkawe Dzaase, also in the same area.
The probe follows a complaint by the Dzaasetse of Osu Kinkawe, Nii Saban Atsen VII on behalf of the Dzaase that on 6th January, 2022, the two wrote a letter on a fake Osu Kinkawe Dzaase letterhead to the District Commander of Osu District Police Command and other officials about the purported enstoolment of a new Osu Mantse.
“I am by this complaint appealing to your good office to intervene and investigate the fictitious letterhead and prosecute the perpetrators in order to forestall similar fictitious letterheads purportedly from the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase being used to deceive the general public and to avoid chaos, anarchy, and breach of peace within the Osu Traditional Area,” the complaint letter stated.
In a related development, the Dzaase has dismissed claims by some elders in the Adjuate We on the authority of the Dzaasetse, Nii Saban Atsen VII, and has affirmed the suspension of three members who were accused of breaching the customs and traditions of Osu.
The Head of Family of the Adjuate We, Nii Ashong Omaboe, the Oshiahene who also hails from the Adjuate We, Nii Adumuah IV and the Head of Family of the Teinor We, Nii Akwei Addo have all been indefinitely suspended for acting in breach of the customs and traditions of Osu and installing people deemed by the Dzaase as non-royals as Chief of Osu.
A statement signed by the Dzaasetse, Nii Saban Atsen VII stated that the claim by some elders of the Adjuate We that the two Ruling Houses did not have voting rights in the Dzaase was not only false but also an attempt to distort the customs and traditions of Osu.
“The Osu Dzaase was established by the Two Ruling houses and naturally they are exempted from voting during the voting of a new Chief to prevent a conflict-of-interest situation. However, in matters relating to subversive conduct of a member, the representatives of the Two Ruling Houses of the Dzaase forms part of the decision making of the Dzaase,” the statement said.
It added that the Dzaasetse (who heads the Dzaase), the heads of the Adukpono We, Teinor We, Odartey Sro We and the Adjuate We constitute the decision-making body of the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase.
“We wish to put on record that assuming without admitting and for the purposes of this argument, the representatives of the two Ruling Houses do not form part of the Dzaase and do not take part in the decision making of the Dzaase, three of the five undisputed members in the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase being the Dzaasetse, the Heads of the Adukpono and Odartey Sro We were part of the Dzaase members that met and made a decision to suspend the Oshiahene and the two other members,” the statement further read.
The statement added that the allegation by the Oshiahene and his people that the Dzaasetse was a lone ranger is a palpable falsehood and a mischievous lie calculated to whittle down the powers of the Dzaasetse as he is the overall head and the final decision maker of the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase.
“It would interest the public to know that the suspended Oshiahene was installed on the request of a letter written by the Osu Kinkawe Dzaasetse, Nii Saban Atsen VII, on behalf of the Dzaase. Today, it is not only surprising, but also ironical and disrespectful on the part of the Oshiahene and his head of family to now challenge the customary position and the authority of the Osu Kinkawe Dzaase,” it added.
