The Former Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Obiri Boahen, has dismissed assertions by the Dormaahene, Oseadeyo Agyeman Badu II, that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, lacks the authority to elevate chiefs to the status of paramount chief outside the Ashanti Region.
Speaking on Live Video, Lawyer Obiri Boahen said the Dormaahene’s position, as chairperson of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, misinterprets the law governing chieftaincy.
He argued that chieftaincy matters are determined by traditional allegiance and overlordship, not by administrative or regional boundaries.
Reacting to recent comments by the Dormaahene, Mr. Obiri Boahen said he disagreed with the claim that any chief elevated to Omanhene outside the Bono Region would not be recognized by the Bono Regional House of Chiefs.
“The other day, I heard the Dormaahene saying that any chief elevated to the status of a paramount chief outside the region would not be accepted in the Bono Regional House of Chiefs. I beg to differ. I don’t agree with him… that is not the position of the law,” he said in Twi.
The 33-year legal practitioner said authority to elevate a chief rests with the traditional overlord, not with geographic jurisdiction. According to him, the Chieftaincy Act does not limit such powers to regional borders.
“I have been a lawyer for 33 years and I can say authoritatively that all the cases he cited as paramount chiefs being rejected are in Ashanti. The position of the law is that it is only your overlord who can make you a paramount chief, it is not by jurisdiction. The Chieftaincy Act is not about jurisdiction. Anybody who says otherwise is lying,” he stated.
Mr. Obiri Boahen cited examples of traditional stools in the Bono Region that remain part of the Asante Kingdom. He noted that Japekrom and Berekum, though located in Bono, are members of the Asanteman Council and therefore fall under the jurisdiction of the Asantehene.
“Whether you like it or not, Japekrom is a member of the Asanteman Council, it is in the Bono Region. Whether you like it or not Berekum, which is 35 miles away from Dormaa, is a member of the Asanteman Council,” he said.
He explained that while the Dormaahene has the authority to elevate chiefs under his own jurisdiction to paramount status, he cannot prevent the Asantehene from doing the same for chiefs who owe allegiance to the Golden Stool.
The comments come amid ongoing discussions on chieftaincy authority and regional jurisdiction, particularly as it relates to the creation of new regions and the status of traditional councils that span multiple administrative boundaries.
Mr. Obiri Boahen insisted that traditional authority precedes and transcends modern regional demarcations, and that attempts to restrict the Asantehene’s powers on geographic grounds contradict both customary law and the Chieftaincy Act.
