Anum: The Judicial Committee of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs has issued a decisive ruling on the chieftaincy dispute in the Anum Traditional Area, prohibiting Mr. Owusu Daniel Dickson from presenting himself as the Omanhene.

According to Ghana News Agency, the Judicial Committee has mandated Mr. Dickson, who was vying for the chieftaincy title, to stop representing himself as the Omanhene of the Anum Traditional Council. The ruling, dated April 30, 2025, stated, “Nananom therefore hereby order that the petitioner/respondent (Dickson) is restrained from holding himself out as a chief and, for that matter, the paramount chief of Anum Traditional Area.”

The ruling also addressed the actions of Mr. Dickson’s supporters, emphasizing that they are “restrained from encouraging, supporting, and/or holding the petitioner/respondent out as the paramount chief of Anum, pending the final determination of the suit.”

The Judicial Committee’s decision supports the legitimacy of Okusiaku-Brempong Kumi Sasraku VII as the duly enstooled and recognized chief, affirming that Mr. Dickson’s claim to the chieftaincy lacks merit.

The legal challenge arose after the Kyedomhene of the Anum Traditional Council, Nana Kolihue XI, filed an interlocutory injunction against supporters of Opanin Kwabena Ayesu and Okogyeman Nana Kwasi Anyane for acknowledging Mr. Dickson as the Omanhene.

The three-member committee, chaired by Nene Sackite II, ruled in favor of Okusiaku-Brempong Kumi Sasraku VII, effectively restraining Mr. Dickson from assuming the role of Paramount Chief of the Anum Traditional Area. The committee included Daasebre Kwaku Boateng and Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III.

The ruling further prohibits supporters of Dickson from endorsing his claim as Omanhene of the area. Okusiaku-Brempong Kumi Sasraku VII was enstooled on May 5 and formally inducted into the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs on July 13, 2023, following the passing of the late Omanhene Appiah Kumi II, who led the Anum Traditional Area for 46 years.

In response to the ruling, some chiefs of the Anum Traditional Area stressed the importance of respecting traditional institutions and their processes. They expressed optimism that the decision by the judicial committee would foster unity and stability within the region, reaffirming the vital role of the House of Chiefs in preserving the integrity of chieftaincy affairs.