From Ernest Best Anane
Nana Kwaku Bio I, former Chief of Essienimpong in the Ejisu Juaben Municipality, has handed over stool regalia to Nana Yaw Baffuor, chief of Bekwai Dominase, who was charged by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, to take inventory.
The item, which were handed over at a ceremony at Essienimpong, included six Atwera tuo (Guns), one apankantuo, a set of fontonfrom drums, a set of pebi nkra, four benkyinye (Umbrellas), two Konpon kyiniye (umbrellas), one black Konpon kyiniye, one linguist staff(dee ade wo no na odie), and a linguist stick (Woforo duapa a na yepia wo.)
Others are 10 state swords, one asekanfo (sword), one apakan (sword ((afena), one abentia (horn), three abotire (headgear), seven donto,six nsakaa, one nsakaa (iron), six nsakaa (rings), two tibo koa (ring) abysinia, one kente wereko, two wireko (abysinia), five dontwon, one set wereko black, one war smock and 10 nkoabire.
The rest are one nkoabire black, three kronpon kye (hat), one kanta,one bodua, one nsebe bodua, 12 clothes, one hwedom, one kokonfi,five asipim (chairs), one apakan (palanquin), one dawuro (gong-gong) eight black stools (male) and four black stools (female.)
Nana Bio was destooled last year June at the instance of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for alleged gross disregard for the Great Oath of Asante, and trampling upon customary practices, including pouring of libation in the stool room.
Nana Kwaku Bio I had taken a firm position not to pour libation and other rites in the stool room, claiming he was a Christian, and that indulging in such customary practices contradicted his beliefs and violated his Christian doctrine.
Stool regalia in his custody were said to have been missing, and 80 plots of the stool land sold without rendering proper accounts, while old clothes he inherited were also missing, including Konkronfi and
Asipim chairs of the palace which claims were disproved at the presentation to the kingmakers.
Nana Bio told the Ashanti File, after the handing over ceremony, that the allegations for his destoolment were unfounded.
He said, however, that his destoolment was a blessing, since it had averted his untimely death if he had been the chief to date.
According to him, he had always been uncomfortable with some practices associated with the chieftaincy institution, and cited the pouring of libation as one of such practices which was at variance with his beliefs as a Christian, and thanked his stars the destoolment ended it all for him. “God wanted to take me out of it, hence the false allegations which I did not contest,” he said.
Nana Kwaku Bio said as a development-oriented person, he had embarked projects to improve the lot of his people, mentioning the construction of a borehole for the community, provision of 90 uniforms for school children, hospital equipment at the cost of GH¢50.000 for the Church of Christ Clinic at Essienimpong, and some additions to the stool regalia.
Meanwhile, a 50-year-old industrialist, Mr. Kwaku Appiah, CEO of Agya Appiah Bitters, has since been enstooled the new chief of Essienimpong, under the stool name Nana Kwaku Appiah Owawani to replace Nana Kwaku Bio.
Nana Kwaku Appiah Owawani, is also the President of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Association (GHAFTRAM).