Private legal practitioner Kwame Akufo has said the will of the late Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo Kantanka does not automatically make anyone the leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission.
His comments come after the founder’s will was read at the Accra High Court, prompting fresh debate over the leadership of both the Kristo Asafo Mission and the Kantanka Empire.
Some people have claimed that the reading of the will confirmed Israel Kwadwo Safo Akofena as the successor to the Kantanka Empire. However, Mr Akufo disagreed with that interpretation.
Speaking to journalists after the court proceedings, he explained that the will should not be seen as a document that appoints the head of the church.
“That the will does not confer leadership position on anybody; it speaks to a pool of people, but there’s a point to be made there,” he said.
Mr Akufo pointed out that Apostle Kwadwo Safo signed the will before making changes to the church’s constitution. For that reason, he said the constitutional amendments must also be taken into account when discussing the leadership issue.
“This will was dated and signed before the amendment of the Constitution,” he stated.
He explained that when the will was prepared, Israel Kwadwo Safo Akofena held a special place in the late founder’s plans.
“At the time that the will was written, Akofena was clearly a man who sat in the bowels of the man’s heart,” he said.
According to Mr Akufo, Akofena was later officially appointed to act on behalf of the founder.
“Subsequently, Akofena was designated as an exerciser of the gentleman upon his person,” he added.
He, however, noted that the situation later changed after Apostle Kwadwo Safo introduced constitutional reforms within the church.
“It was the same gentleman who initiated a repeal of that constitutional provision, and Akofena was removed as designated leader,” he explained.
Mr Akufo argued that the church’s constitutional position at the time of the founder’s death was different from what existed when the will was signed.
“So by the time his father was dying, Akofena was not the designated leader of the church,” he said.
He also expressed concern about public commentary surrounding the succession dispute, saying many people have ignored important constitutional developments.
“It is unfortunate that people do not have the accurate information,” he stated.
