Yaa Akoto’s Inheritance
Kwadwo Tano who bought the Fawomanye land for his uncle, sister, grand daughter and their entourage, in his will named his uncle Sakum, his nephew Kwame Nyenese and his granddaughter Yaa Akoto as inheritors. Out of the three co inheritors Yaa Akoto is the only one alive and has since the death of the other two maintained sole ownership of the property. (in 1980)
Yaa Akoto was advised by Nana Kwesi Yeboa the then Ankobeahene to give him the document on the property for safe keeping since such documents were better kept by a man as against a spinster. Yaa Akoto agreed and gave the documents to Nana Kwesi Yeboa to act as caretaker of her property. Nana Kwesi Yeboa was a relative of Nana Sakum and for that matter related also to Yaa Akoto so it was not strange of him (i.e.
Nana Kwesi Yeboa) to keep the documents for Yaa Akoto.
Whilst Kwasi Yeboa was the Ankobeahene and the caretaker of Yaa Akoto’s property, there was litigation between Kwasi Yeboa acting on behalf of Yaa Akoto and the people of Esiam. Kwesi Yeboa rightly acted on behalf of Yaa Akoto, took the case to court and won. This litigation resulted in the resurveying of the property by a licensed surveyor called Arthur Mulin.
On the death of Kwasi Yeboa, Nana Appianin succeeded as Ankobeahene and also acted as caretaker of the Yaa Akoto’s property. During Nana Appianin’s tenure of office he is said to have used the cash returns from
the property to re roof Nana Tano’s building at Saltpond.
On the death of Appianin, Nana Ampontua (alias Kuntoh) suceeded as Ankobeahene, but this time Yaa Akoto is said to have refused to let Kuntoh act as her caretaker. Yaa Akoto’s reason was that Nana Ampontua did not consider her as an inseparable relative. This was based on the fact that, it is said that whilst Yaa Akoto’s son Kwame Amofa was staying with Ampontua his uncle, there is said to have been a confrontation between Ampontua and his nephew Kwame Amofah.
Yaa Akoto on hearing this case called one Madam Yaa Kwakyewaa and attempted to settle the
issue. However when they went to see Kuntoh, he is said to have snobbed them saying that even children of the same parents sometimes separate how much more relatives. Yaa Akoto is said to have tried a second time to settle the issue by reporting the results of the first attempt to Ampontua’s ( Kuntoh ) brother Akomanin but to no avail.
Yaa Akoto took this issue to heart and on this basis refused to let Kuntoh act as a caretaker of her property when he became the Ankobeahene. Yaa Akoto is said to have said that if Kuntoh did not consider her as a sister but a mere relation and also not as an inseparable relation, then it was not safe letting him keep her property. The issue had to be settled at Gyaase. Though Nana Ampontua and his brother Akomanin were found guilty, the Gyaasehene advised Yaa Akoto to give the documents to Kuntoh for safe keeping as he was the man for the family.
During the period of Kuntoh as caretaker of the Yaa Akoto’s property, there occurred a litigation popularly referred to as the “acre case”. Kuntoh in his capacity as caretaker was supposed to represent Yaa Akoto but he refused. Yaa Akoto therefore asked for her documents to enable her take up the case with whoever will be prepared to help.
At this time Yaa Akoto’s son Kwame Amofa was matured and with the help of her daughters and their husbands they sought the necessary legal advice and settled the case. The documents on the property thereafter came to be with Yaa Akoto. After Kuntoh’s death Yaa Akoto’s son Kwame Amofa succeeded as Ankobeahene but the documents ever since remained with Nana Yaa Akoto.