Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III

Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III

Educational Background Source:

Reign The first attempt at enstoolment

When for any reason the stool of an Akan state, town or village becomes vacant much maneuvering goes on among eligible claimants. This is largely because there are generally more lineages in the clan and each lineage may want its member to be nominated. The competition could be very fierce with factions among the kingmakers and the people supporting this or that candidate as against others. There are, however, certain qualities which the candidates must possess. and he helped formulate policies and regulations that ensured the smooth operation of the Corporation.

About the same time, that is from 1970 to 1972, he was a member of the National Family Planning Council, a body charged with the responsibility of formulating policies, strategies and programmes to control Ghana’s rapid population growth.

In his home state Denkyira, Odeefuo served as a member of the Management Board of Dunkwa Boa Amponsem Secondary School for the five years 1970 – 1975. For another five years he was President of the Ghana Co-operative Organisations in the country. It was in this capacity that Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III represented Ghana at the 1980 Moscow Congress on World Co-operative Movement.

In the second field, that of chieftaincy affairs, Odeefuo has had his share of service to that institution. He fully participated in all meetings of the Joint Provincial Council at Dodowa; he was a founding member of the Joint Houses of Chiefs which later was turned into the National House of chiefs. For seventeen years he was a member of the National House of Chiefs serving in various capacities as Registrar, Chairman of the Research Committee, and Chairman of the Public Relations Committee. As a paramount chief Odeefuo continued to be a member of the Central Regional House of Chiefs having served as its president for six years 1973 – 1979 for the 2nd term and at National House of Chiefs as the 9th President from 1999 to 2001.

The third phase of Odeefuo’s public service relates to political and constitutional matters. During the era of the National Liberation Council the government appointed him to the membership of the Political committee. This body advised the government on all political matters especially the eventual return to civilian/constitutional rule. After the dissolution of the Political Committee following the creation of the Second Republic, the government appointed Odeefuo to serve on the membership of the Central Regional Executive Board of the Centre for Civic Education. The Centre had been set up to educate Ghanaians in their civic rights, responsibilities and obligations with a view to making them more politically conscious and interested in working to ensure the practice of democracy in Ghana. Odeefuo held that laudable experiment to an end. The coup in 1972, however, did not end Odeefuo’s service to the nation.

During the Supreme Military Council era when arrangements were being made to return the country once again to civilian rule, Odeefuo was nominated to serve on the Constituent Assembly (1978 – 1979); and he actively participated in the Assembly’s deliberations which finally produced the 1979 constitution. Under the government of the P.N.D.C too Odeefuo served in two areas. From 1987 – 1989 he was appointed to the membership of the Central Regional Consultative council – the highest governing body of the region. And finally he was a government nominee to the National Consultative Assembly which prepared the 1992 Constitution that ushered in the Fourth Republic.

Such have been the life and times of Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III seen in the larger context of developments in Denkyira and Ghana as a whole. He has paid attention to the revival of Denkyira customs and traditions; he has given much attention to education in his state, he has succeeded in ensuring a reasonable degree of peace and stability in his state; and he has helped in the economic transformation of Lower Denkyira by co-operating with the UNDP/CEDECOM in establishing the Kakum Nature Reserve as a tourist centre.

Finally through his public service and foreign travel he has helped advertise the name and rich culture of Denkyira here and abroad. Today many people are aware of the location of Denkyira and the name Odeefuo Boa Amponsem III, Denkyirahene is familiar to many. These are indeed laudable achievements though the Denkyirahene considered them as quite modest. He was more optimistic about the future of the Denkyira state as he sums up his aspirations, "I even have greater hope that those who will come after me will be able to do more and even better for our dear Denkyira and the nation as a whole".