View PDF Version - RePub

Odikro at the Ntonton well near Dunkwa. Hearing of Nana Mensah's
intention, on the instigation of the Omanhene, to perform these rituals, his
adversary-warned-him-tostay-away-fromthe-Ntonton-well-because he, the
rightful Asasewura of the Asukwa land on which the well had been dug in
Yamfo Paintsir's time, had not been asked for permission. Finding that
Nana Mensah was determined to persevere, the Ebusua Panyin of Nana
Quansah's 1Widan family, Kobena Abban, restrained him by the Great
Oath of Aburaman Wukuda. As Nana Mensah nevertheless went to
perform the rituals at the prescribed time and place, Kobena Abban
reported the breaking of the Oath to the Omankyeame (the State linguist)
for the necessary procedure, which in fact meant that he summoned Nana
Mensah before the Judicial Committee. The verdict went against the
defendant, who was ordered to pay four Mpereguan (plural ofpereguan
- Asante peredwan - an Akan weight of gold dust equal to 4112 ounces
or £8.2.4) or £32/8 (0= 64.80) and eight bottles of schnapps as well as the
costs incurred by the complainant.
Although the Asukwa 1Widan ebusua and its elders could be satisfied
with the verdict, the issue at stake had not been settled. The question
remained undecided of whether all Abura lands fell under the Omanhene
so that he could rightfully direct one of his sub-chiefs to perform rituals at
the Ntonton well near Dunkwa, or whether Dunkwa land, by being part of
Asukwa, fell under Nana Quansah's stool so thatto go to the Ntonton well
without his permission was to trespass on his land. It is hardly surprising
that in 1976, KobenaAbban, the Ebusua Panyin of the Asukwa 1Widan,
brought a land suit in the Central Region High Court at Cape Coast against
Nana Budukuma, but now also against Nana Otu X, the Omanhene of
Abakrampa. The case was occasioned deliberately by Nana Otu 's decision
to invite N ana Quansah to Abakram pa in order to render accounts to him
over the Asukwa land, for which, Nana Otu emphasized, Nana Quansah
acted as his caretaker. This was naturally unacceptable to Nana Quansah
who stressed that in the more than 500 years during which his lineage had
held the land, no Asasewura had ever rendered accounts to the Paramount
Stool. In reply Nana Otu suspended him from his caretakership and
appointed Nana Budukuma in his place.
The way in which the conflict was brought to a head should be seen
in connection with Nana Otu's earlier effort (which he had related to us in
September 1974) to assert his authority over the Dunkwa land chiefs. He
had then told us that he had recently summoned the custodians of Abura­
Dunkwa lands to come and discuss the land problem with him, while also
60