NANA KWAKU GYABENG II RETAINED AS THE LEGITIMATE CHIEF OF WASSA ATEIKU AFTER 8 YEARS OF LEGAL BATTLE
Wassa Ateiku is one of the few traditional towns in the Wassa East district of western region with the population of over eight thousands people.
Wassa Ateiku has seen five different successive chiefs from “Ekuona I Royal family who form the kingmakers of the Ateiku stool. The first chief who began the ascension of the Wassa Ateiku throne was Nana Ntraadaa (I) who ruled in the early 1820s.
He was succeeded by Nana Gyabeng (I) who also reigned from 1889-1945. Nana Wiredu became the third chief from 1945-1960. The fourth chief was Nana Ntraadaa II who occupied the throne from 1973-2015. The fifth chief who is the current chief of Wassa Ateiku is Nana Kwaku Gyabeng II who also ascended the high throne from 2016 to date after the demise of his late uncle Nana Ntraadaa II.
Nana Kwaku Gyabeng II who was customary installed the chief of Wassa Ateiku in 2016 has never seen peace since he was enthroned.
Another group called “Asare Opong and Katadafour” who are believed to be aliens from no traceable source and have no jurisdiction in the Ateiku royal family invaded challenging the legitimacy of Nana Kwaku Gyabeng II as the legitimate chief of Wassa Ateiku.
The legal battle begun in 2016 immediately after Nana Kwaku Gyabeng II was installed and gained more prominence in 2019. It all started at the judicial council of Wassa Fiase traditional council to Tarkwa High court and finally ended at the court of Appeal in Accra on the 9th of May, 2024 where the court eventually made a final determination of the prolonged chieftaincy banter.
In the judgment of the Appeal court of Accra on the aforementioned date, the three Apeal court justices who adjudicated on the matter ruled that the earlier ruling by the Tarkwa High court on the 30th March, 2023 that quashed the ruling of judicial council of Wassa Fiase traditional council which allowed the other group “Asare Opong and Katadafour” to carry themselves as the royal family of Wassa Ateiku is right judgment and that the judge did not err in her judgement therefore it stands, hence no group whatsoever from Asare Opong and Katadafour should carry itself as the royal family of Wassa Ateiku stool.
The chief of Wassa Ateiku Nana Kwaku Gyabeng II is calling on all the natives of Wassa Ateiku who went on self exile due to the volatile chieftaincy issue in the area to come back home to help the development of the town because there is peace, unity and stability at Wassa Ateiku.
View the excerpt of the judgment below
By Richard Koomson | mediacentralonline.info | Ghana
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