The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has cautioned family heads across the Asante Kingdom to desist from overstepping their traditional roles, stressing that they have no authority to challenge or destool queens.
Addressing members of the Kumasi Traditional Council on Monday, the Asante King clarified a long-standing misconception regarding the powers of family heads in relation to queens within the traditional hierarchy.
According to the Asantehene, family heads serve only as intermediaries between the royal family and the queen, and therefore cannot assume equal or superior authority over them.
“The queen is enstooled with authority; she is a leader. The family head is only a middleman between the queen and the family. He has no business with the kingmakers.
When there is a vacancy, he assists the queen to choose a successor. He is in no way superior to the queen,” Otumfuo emphasized.
The Asantehene’s remarks followed a case involving the family head of Asaamang, who had reportedly performed destoolment rites to remove the town’s queen without authorization.
The act, Otumfuo said, violated Asante custom and was subsequently declared null and void after the Nsutahene, Nana Asamoah Gyamfi Sekyere II, performed the appropriate traditional rites to restore order.
Expressing his displeasure, the Asantehene condemned what he described as a growing trend of unlawful destoolments by certain family heads, warning that such behavior undermines the authority of legitimate traditional leaders.
“What insolence is that? That is against Asante tradition. A family head cannot destool a queen. He has no power,” the King fumed.
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“You went ahead to slaughter a sheep to purportedly destool a queen because she rejected your choice of candidate for the male stool. Can she accept all requests?”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II reaffirmed his commitment to preserving Asante customs and traditions, reminding family heads that their duty is to support not usurp the authority of queens and other enstooled leaders.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Isaac Justice Bediako
