TANOSOHENE FILES PETITION AGAINST TECHIMANHENE (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 3, APRIL 12, 2010)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Sunyani.

THE Tano-Subin chieftaincy dispute has taken another turn with the Omanhene of Tanoso in the Techiman Municipality, Nana Kwaku Yiadom Boakye, filing a petition at the Judicial Committee of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, seeking a declaration that the Tanoso Stool owes allegiance to the Golden Stool of Asanteman and not the Techiman Stool.
According to the petitioner, the respondents in the petition, including the Omanhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV the Afutuhene of Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Kwaku Kwarteng V, and the Techiman Traditional Council, have been holding unto the false and misleading notion that Tanoso is under the Techiman Paramountcy.
The petition, filed on behalf of the Tanoso Omanhene by Sunyani-based lawyer, Nana Obiri Boahen, on March 24, 2010, also prayed the committee to declare that the Afutuhene of Techiman Traditional Area should stop portraying himself as the chief of Tanoso.
According to the petition, the Tanoso Omanhene was elevated to paramount chief status on December 12, 1996. Before then, he was the chief of the town.
It said the Tanoso Stool had owed allegiance to the Golden Stool over the years, adding that when the Tano-Subin Traditional Council of which Tanoso was part was created in 1944, Tanoso was not placed under the Techiman Stool.
“Since 1944, all modern governments in Ghana had accepted the existence of Tano-Subin Traditional Council. It means all governments since 1944 have recognised and accepted the fact that none of the Tano-Subin stools has ever served under the Techiman Stool,” the petition said.
The petition continued that during the privileges committee sitting of the colonial government from June 18, 1935-January 3, 1936, Tanoso Stool renewed its allegiance to the Golden Stool.
It added that “Because Tanoso does not serve under the Techiman stool, when the chieftaincy membership of the Regional Houses of Chiefs Amendment Instrument 1988 was gazetted on August 5, 1988, Tanoso was placed under the Tano-Subin Traditional Council”.
It stated that in 1980/81, the Techiman Stool laid claim to the Tanoso Stool contending that the Tanoso Stool was subservient to the Techiman Stool.
However, in its ruling on May 11, 1982, the Court of Appeal said, “So far as Tanoso is concerned, it has remained under Kumasi since 1935”.
“In the light of the Court of Appeal ruling neither of the respondents can resurrect the matter with regards to Tanoso stool allegiance to the Golden Stool,” the petition said.
The petition indicated that on January 25, 1996, the then occupant of the Techiman Stool in the company of some paramount chiefs from the Brong Ahafo Region went to Kumasi to beg Otumfuo Opoku Ware II to permit him (Techimanhene) to look after the Tano-Subin stools for him, which was flatly refused.
“By virtue of the late Omanhene of Techiman’s conduct by going to beg the Asantehene, it is unacceptable and ridiculous for the respondents to turn round now to claim that Tanoso stool is subservient to the Techiman Stool,” it said.
The Judicial Committee is yet to fix a date for hearing on the matter.