Prior to his ascension to the Osu Stool, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI had served the Osu state in different capacities. He had been a member of the Kinkawe Asafo, Secretary to the Dzaase and also Secretary of the . As a male member of the royal Dowuona House, one of the two Osu royal houses, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI was in line to be enstooled king during the protracted chieftaincy dispute that had wracked the Osu state for decades. His service to the traditional authority had brought him to the attention of the stool fathers and therefore stood him in good stead to leverage his lineage. In the interim, however, another claimant, Nii Nortey Owuo III, had held himself out to be King of Osu for several years, tracing his lineage through the Owuo House, though he was unable to secure the support of key stakeholders regarding his eligibility. On 4 May 2007, the accredited Dzaase in collaboration with the Wulomo and the leadership of the two royal houses, successfully installed Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI as substantive Mantse or King at the Osu Klottey Shrine located in the confines of the Osu Castle. This state of affairs resulted in high drama that year when both Nii Nortey Owuo III and Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI led rival processions to celebrate the Ga Homowo festival in August, though Nii Nortey Owuo had custody of the Osu Palace and received government functionaries and other traditional rulers in his capacity as Osu Mantse. The recognition given by government officials to Nii Nortey Owuo III during the festival and other functions provoked angry reactions from the , which insisted that it recognised Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI and not Nii Nortey Owuo III as Osu Mantse Both sides litigated the matter in the courts, and a decision by the High Court in Accra in March 2010 settled the dispute in favour of Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI. Following this development, on May 2, 2010, the National House of Chiefs formally gazetted or entered the name of Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI into the National Register of Chiefs as recognised Osu Mantse. The National House of Chiefs also expunged from its records the name of Nii Nortey Owuo III as Osu Mantse, revoking and withdrawing the document previously issued to him recognising him as Osu Mantse, noting that as far back 1992, the Government of Ghana had passed Executive Instrument 31 %20law Osu Stool Property, which ordered the City Manager of Accra to take possession of the Osu Stool Property until a legitimate chief was enstooled. The House of Chiefs regarded EI 31 as effectively destooling Nii Nortey Owuo III. The Nii Nortey Owuo III faction continued to contest the enstoolment of Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, and when the latter was officially installed as Paramount Chief of Osu in May 2010, police had to fire rubber bullets to prevent the disruption of the event. However, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI has subsequently exercised full substantive powers as Osu Mantse, and is recognised by the Government of Ghana, politicians and traditional rulers in Ghana and abroad, as well as the public, as such. His position as Paramount Chief of Osu makes him the traditional landlord of the Government of Ghana and he is rec ognised as an authority on custom and tradition.
Elevation to Paramountcy
Following a five-year enquiry, the on 27 April 2012 elevated the Osu Stool to Paramountcy status, five years into the reign of the new King. This brought Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI greater prominence in the hierarchy of traditional authorities in Ghana, and gave the Osu Traditional Area a greater say in its affairs. Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI was therefore inducted into the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs as Paramount Chief of Osu. The inclusion of the name “Kinka” in his stool name is a significant linkage to Kinka We, where the two royal houses of Osu as well as the Dadebu Shrine are based. In historical times, the Dadebu was the vault dug in the ground for storing and concealing weapons used by the Asafo. In December 2016, Kinka Dowuona VI was elected President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs for a four-year term., making him the lead spokesperson for traditional rulers in the region.
Development agenda
Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI announced a bold development agenda on his enstoolment. Osu lands encompass prime real estate in national capital of Accra, and the King has sought co-investments to leverage state assets in favour of his people. He has launched the Osu Mantse Community Development Initiative, a community based initiative aimed at supporting the national government in the socio-economic improvement of the Osu state. The areas of focus for this program are Health, Education, Agriculture, and Real Estate Development. In 2012, he was awarded a Certificate OF Excellence for his dedication to the development of his traditional area by the Elders Forum of the Distinguished Scholars of Africa.. He is an advocate for a stronger, non-partisan role for traditional rulers in national governance.
Private life
Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI was born to Osu natives Mr. George Nii Noi Dowuona-Owoo and Mrs. Grace Koshie Odarley Wellington. He is married and has six children: Grace Naa Shormeh Dowuona-Owoo, George Nii Noi Dowuona-Owoo, Richard Nii Narku Dowuona-Owoo, Naa Shormeh Dowuona-Owoo, Michelle Naa Shormeh Dowuona-Owoo and Naa Korlei Dowuona-Owoo.
