Dokument #1004286
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
Information on the person that succeeded
Nana Kwaku Duah (an Akan traditional chief) of Bonwire after his
death in May 1993 is currently unavailable to the DIRB in Ottawa.
According to a professor of political science at Bennet College in
Greensboro, North Carolina, Bonwire is a village in the Ashanti
Region of Ghana and is well-known in Ghana for its traditional
cloth (Kente) weaving industry (6 May 1994). The professor was not
aware of the death of the chief of Bonwire in May 1993. He
explained that the chief of Bonwire, in Akan and Ashanti
traditions, while important as a chief, is not a paramount chief or
king, and the Ghanaian press may not find his death newsworthy to
the nation (ibid.).
The professor mentioned that, in terms of
traditional Akan inheritance, nephews have a primary right over
sons in inheriting an uncle's estate. However, that may not
necessarily be the case regarding "chieftaincy inheritance." In
Akan tradition, nephews do not automatically inherit un uncle's
chieftaincy. Chiefs are selected by "kingmakers" from among
families in the community and the choice normally falls on the
person considered to be the most appropriate for the position. The
community, through the "kingmakers," decides on who is or is not
"appropriate." However, if no appropriate person is found, then it
is possible that the nephew of the deceased may be selected. Under
the circumstances, the professor explained, even a son can be
selected as the most appropriate person for the position (ibid.).
The DIRB is unable to corroborate the professor's information at
the present time.
This response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum.
Professor of political science, Bennet
College, Greensboro, North Carolina. 5 May 1994. Telephone
interview.
Country files on Ghana containing
articles and reports from diverse sources, primarily dailies and
periodicals from the Weekly Media Review (WMR).
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
(FBIS) Reports. Daily.
Ghanaian Times [Accra].
Daily.
Keesing's Record of World Events.
Yearly.
Material from the Indexed Media
Review (IMR) on Ghana.
West Africa [London]. Weekly.