Data from the National Archives currently known as the Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD) has showed that claims by the destooled sub-chief of Kyikyiwere and Krotihene of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council in the Western Region, Nana Ngoah Anyimah Kodom Il that he is the current substantive Chief of Bibiani was riddled by massive corruption, falsehoods, fabrication of lies and illegalities by his supposed installers.
Information from the chief list from the national archives indicates that the people who carried out the said installation only had their way after fabricating lies to support and defend their illegalities.
Available documents from the traditional area suggest clearly that what the processes they gone through to install Ngoah Anyimah Kodom was uncustomary and illegal.
On the chief list in national archives of Ghana on the traditional structures on how chiefs were installed for the various recognized towns and villages under the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, the Anhwiaso which is the Headquarters of the paramountcy is the first town on the list.
On the list, Bibiani is the second town for which they wrote Bibiani representatives as Anhwiaso, Nkawie and Sankori, the traditional chieftaincy structure which means that Bibiani has no chieftaincy status title.
In an interview with journalists, the Paramount Chief of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area in the Western North Region, who doubles as the President of National House of Chiefs (NHCs), Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II has described the information from national archives of Ghana and the chief list of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area as credible and factual.
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II narrated how a letter was written by Ngoah Anyimah Kodom’s late uncle who was the former Krotihene of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council to the Council requesting the traditional authorities to confirm him as a substantive Bibianihene, “…but it was declined and that was not even in my time.”
The supreme traditional ruler provided documentary evidence to back their claim that Ngoah Anyimah Kodom’s predecessor in the name of Nana Kofi Nkoah III applied to the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council that the Omanhene should make him a substantive chief of Bibiani, since he is the Krotihene of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council but his requested was also rejected.
The reason why Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council didn’t grant the Bibiani chieftaincy status to Nana Kodom’s predecessor who are the Kroti faction from Kyikyiwere stems from the fact that there were other royals like Ankobia faction and others also under Anhwiaso Stool in Bibiani.
“So, Nana Kodom’s predecessor who was his uncle, Nana Kofi Nkoah III has applied for that chieftaincy status, and he wasn’t given the chance and today Nana Kodom unlawfully has been parading himself as a substantive chief of Bibiani, even though Bibiani has no chief as their custom and tradition demand.”
“This is unlawful and an affront to the tradition and customs of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council. Very soon this lawlessness and bad behaviours of this imposter would be stopped,” he assured, outlining a number of crucial resolutions aimed at curbing this destructive practice.
However, the ill-fated letter that Nana Kodom’s late predecessor, wrote to the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council which was rejected reads in part; “I wish inform your committee of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council that Bibiani is a unit within the same tradition.”
The letter written by Nana Kodom’s late predecessor dated January 21, 1981, which is in possession of this news outlet stated that: “In this outfit, it is learned that I am the Krotihene who presides over this tradition in the absence of the Omanhene. In this wise, I am appealing to the State (referring to the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council) to dissolve the position of the Omanhene representative at Bibiani, which is unnecessary, as far as I am staying at Bibiani,” the letter concluded.
Speaking further, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi stated that II Ngoah Anyimah Kodom is currently styling himself as Bibianihene but he is not.
According to him, from time immemorial, Ngoah Anyimah Kodom was installed as a Odikro of Kyikyiwere, and “we have historical documents and evidence from chiefs list of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area in the national archives of Ghana which justifies that. All these historical documents clearly show that Ngoah Anyimah Kodom is not a Bibianihene.”
According to the supreme traditional ruler, although he never played a leading role in the installations of various divisional and sub-chiefs in the areas, the historical documents have indicated that Ngoah Anyimah Kodom is an “imposter and a trouble maker in Bibiani.”
Mincing no words, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II warned him to end the increasing act of lawlessness in the area, stressing that the members of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council have taken a bold stance on fighting lawlessness.
He blamed him for masterminding and feuding the recent chieftaincy dispute despite his awareness that he does not qualify to be the legitimate chief of Bibiani.
Following this bad development, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II called on the general public, particularly, the citizens and residents of the area not to accord the Bibiahene chieftaincy title to Ngoah Anyimah Kodom again.
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II also refuted allegations levelled against him by Ngoah Anyimah Kodom to the effect that he [Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II] has ordered the Registrar to change his chieftaincy extract form.
“This was completely untrue and lies, he said nothing that “l am not playing any leading role to influence the Registrar to change the extract of Ngoah Anyimah Kodom from the National Register of the chiefs.”
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II indicated that Ngoah Anyimah Kodom wrote an ill-fated letter to the National of House Chiefs, requesting the House to change his gazette extract in the national register of the National House of Chiefs to make his status as Krontihene to Bibianihene.
In this sense, the paramount chief explained that the National of House Chiefs has written a letter back to the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council through the Western North Regional House of Chiefs to get confirmation from the traditional authorities on the letter that Ngoah Anyimah Kodom wrote to NHCs.
According to Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council has replied to the letter, showing series of the historical documents to justify that Ngoah Anyimah Kodom is not a chief of Bibiani.
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II said there are various documentary evidence in the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Council which indicated that Ngoah Anyimah Kodom was installed as chief of Kyikyiwere and Krontihene in 1992 and gazetted as such, adding that the Kyikyiwere/ Bibiani indicates a village near Bibiani just like Tafo/Kumasi.
“If Ngoah Anyimah Kodom is currently claiming to the general public that he is a genuine chief of Bibiani, why is it that on his gazette he secured from the NHCs, he writes Kyikyiwere/Bibiani. So, you cannot be a Chief in Ga State and same time a chief of Kumasi,” Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II blasted Ngoah Anyimah Kodom. If what we wrote in our letter to National House of Chiefs to set the record straight on the matter was not genuine, Ngoah Anyimah Kodom should have taken us to the law court by now,” the Omanhene added.
