The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has issued a ferocious, non-negotiable decree to all chiefs within the Ashanti Kingdom: any chief caught collaborating with or using land guards to enforce land claims will be summarily destooled.
The paramount ruler delivered the definitive warning on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at the Manhyia Palace during a courtesy call from the newly appointed Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Arthur Osei Akoto.
The Asantehene stressed that the reliance on illegal, armed groups is both a violation of state law and a fundamental betrayal of the Asanteman traditional governance system.
The Asantehene made it unequivocally clear that the authority to manage land does not extend to employing violence or engaging in activities that threaten public peace. His pronouncements highlight a stark conflict between customary land management and rising criminal practices, particularly in fast-developing areas.
“I will destool any chief who engages the services of land guards. They know very well that they have no such authority. When those lands were entrusted to them upon their enstoolment, I never instructed them to hire land guards to protect them. I did not grant them the power to employ people to use guns and harm others,” Asantehene cautioned.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II emphasised that land disputes are inherently traditional matters and must be resolved through established, peaceful channels, not through extralegal means that undermine the rule of law.
“If you have any land disputes with anyone, bring it before me, and we will resolve it amicably, for peace to prevail,” he advised, stressing the availability and efficacy of the Manhyia Palace’s judicial process.
The Asantehene’s traditional warning aligns directly with Ghana’s modern criminal code.
The Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), explicitly criminalises the use of land guards, imposing severe penalties, including imprisonment and fines, for anyone who uses force, violence, or intimidation to unlawfully control land or extort money from legitimate developers.
Chiefs, who are already recognised as fiduciaries and accountable managers of stool lands under the Act, face the double jeopardy of state prosecution under Act 1036 and immediate destoolment—the ultimate removal from traditional office—by the Asantehene.
This dual threat underscores the seriousness with which both traditional and state authorities are addressing the surge in land-related violence in the region.
The Asantehene’s firm stance serves as a powerful reinforcement of the state’s efforts to ensure public safety and restore investor confidence in the Ashanti Region’s land market.
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