You are not the Owner of Larteh, stay aware – Group tells Nana Asiedu Okoo Ababio III

“We are issuing this caution in the spirit of our ancestors and the current Chief, Enyine Otu Agyemfra VI to Nana Asiedu Okoo Ababio III, and the people of Ahenease to desist from claiming ownership of Larteh, we have history, the history is our root and must be respected by all and sundry”.

This caution was among other statements captured in the recent press statement released by the Concern Citizens of Larteh Kubease in the Akwapim Traditional Council in the Eastern Region.

According to the statement, the citizens of Larteh Kubease seems not to be happy with the way Larteh Eheneashene Nana Asiedu Okoo Ababio III was parading himself as Lartehene.

They say they have seen this through several means over the years, including on funeral posters of the various Abusuapanyinfo of Ehenease, stool elders of Eheneashene who refer to him as Lartehene and even his recent invitation cards inviting people to grace his 30th anniversary of enstoolment which described him as Lartehene and this they claim is historically wrong.

“All efforts made to amicably draw the attention of Eheneashene to resolve the matter have proven futile hence we the concern citizens of Kubeaseman are ready to sacrifice anything to prevent any attempt by this Chief to bring down the authority of Kubeaseman. Larteh comprises of Kubease and Ahenease, which is a historically documented fact,” the statement noted.

Educating the public on the historic fact of the early settlers of Lartehvt, they say “it is evidently clear that, Kubeasefo are the first settlers before the Eheneasefo who are the 30 tribes who came to Larteh on different occasions and settled at Akonokrofi (Ayikuma) during the reign of Enyine Brafo Asiedu”.

They questioned, how Kubease, a suburb of Larteh became the Kyidomhene of Akwapim Traditional Council as Nana Asiedu Okoo Ababio has over the years been claiming, adding that if there is Lartehene, then he should be decendant of Enyine Brafo Asiedu, who gave 30 tribes now Ehenease a place to stay and also fought during the Akatamanso war in 1730 through which he got the accolade “Oko-gye-afena” now the name Agyemfra and the Kyidomhene of Akwapim.

The statement added that in their search from the nation’s register of chiefs, it is clear there is nothing like Lartehene as being claimed by Nana Asiedu Okoo Ababio III, rather, “Nana Akrofi Oworae III gazetted as Larteh Aheneasehene and Benkumhene of Akwapim (Gazette no. 2177) not Lartehene as well as Osabarima Enyine Asiedu Okoo Ababio III gazetted as Larteh Aheneasehene and Benkumhene of Akwapim (Gazette no. 2178) not Lartehene, and even during the 1733 abotakyi accord it acknowledged the seventeen towns of Akwapim namely Larteh Kubease, Larteh Ahenease, Abiriw Dawu, Awukugua, Adukrom, Apirede, Aseseeso, Abonse, Mamfe, Abotakyi, Mampong, Tutu, Obosomase, Berekuso, Ahwerease and Aburi forming the Akwapim State.”

By William Dei Gyau