The ethnic grouping of the people of Akwapem is so peculiar and unique that it makes interesting reading in recording the History of the People of Akuapcm and the formation of this our beloved state, OKUAPEMAN.

 

It was on a Wednesday in the mid-month of January 1733 that a meeting of all the fetish priests of the Kyerepons and the Guans living on the Akwapem Ridge was convened by the Fetish Priest, Nana Asare Duasa from Awukugua, the priest of DENSU. This meeting was held at Abotakyi and in attendance also was the chief of the people of Gyakiti Akan, warriors who had come to stay on the Ridge with the Kyerepons and the Guans. The Kyerepons consisted of five towns, (a)Abiriw, (b) Dawu, (c)Awukugua, (d)Adukrom and (e)Apirede and known as the "Kyerepon Ammanuonum." The Guans consistcd of (a)Mamfe, (b)Abotakyi, (c)Mampong, (d)Tutu, (c)Obosomase and (d)Date (Larteh) "Amanuasa".

 

The Kyerepons and the Guans did not have chiefs but were led by fetish priests as follows. Abiriw - Nana Baa Agyiri - Fetish priest for BOSOMPRA. Awukugua - Nana Asare Duasa - Fetish priest for DENSU. Adukrom - Nana Otu Yaw - Fetish priest for OTUTU. Dawu - Nana Asiedu Boafo – Fetish priest for OLA and Apirede, Nana Obeeko Asamoa - Fetish priest for NYADA. The GUANS had: Mamfe - Nana Apasiapa - Fetish priest for TOPRE, Abotakyi - Nana Nwanwanyane - Fetish Priest for TIPE BESIAKWAN, Mampong, Nana Otu Adaw - Fetish Priest for BRUKU ADAW, Tutu, Nana Atopi - Fetish Priest for TEPIRE, Obosomase - Nana Pomdei - Fetish Priest for KYENKU and Date (Larteh) - Nana Gyedu Nkansa - Fetish Priest for KONKOM.

All these fetish priests, their subjects and servants attended this meeting in 1733 together with the chief of Gyakiti, Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman and his attendants.

 

The Akwamu people led by their chief Nana Ansa Sasraku lived at Nyanewase, a place near our present day Nsawam. The Akwamus were the warlords of the neighbourhood and had fought and defeated people as far as the Ga people near the sea. Thus, they were feared all over the land as far as Fante, Agona and Kotoku due to the rough treatment they meted out to their conquered neighbours.

 

The Kyerepons and the Guans who once joined forces with the Gyakitis and the Ga people to fight the Akwamus and were totally defeated were at the blunt end of this cruelty and rough treatment from the Akwamus. The Kyerepons and the Guans could no longer stand the maltreatment and so readily met at the instance of Nana Asare Duasa at Abotakyi to find a way of freeing themselves from the Akwamus.

 

At this meeting, Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman, the Gyakiti chief drew the attention of the meeting to the fact that just beyond the Akwamu border, lay a mighty and powerful kingdom of Akans, known as Abuakwa. Their chief was called Nana Ofori Panyin and his capital city was Banso. These Abuakwa people had moved to where they were, from Adanse not quite long before 1733. Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman advised the meeting to seek help from the people of this Akan kingdom of Abuakwa who were very skilled in the art of warfare. This advice was readily accepted and a delegation was appointed to go to Abuakwa Banso to plead with Nana Ofori Panyin, his Queen mother Nana Dokua and his elders to send generals and warriors to assist them to fight the Akwamus and drive them away. It was a seven-man delegation that was sent to Abuakwa. This comprised of Opanyin Aye Kisi an elder of Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman. He was the leader of the delegation. Opanyin Yaw Daate from Obosomase, Opanyin Adomfori Mante, from Date (Larteh), Opanyin Awuku Tia from Awukugua, Okyeame Kwabena Yobo of Obosomase, Okyeame Duasa of Awukugua and Okyeame Ayisi of Apirede. Now to identify themselves as a delegation from thc fetish priests of the Kyerepons and the Guans, they were each given the whip of authority “FE” and "KYEKYEREKONA" necklace. Having settled the identification of the delegation, it was agreed that the delegation would meet at Mamfe in three days time to start their journey to Akyem Banso. It was also agreed that if the Abuakwa Chief did send his generals and warriors to them, they would camp them on the land situated at Amamprobi donated by Okyeame Aworoben of Mamfe.

​

All these having been settled, the meeting then considered their war equipment which at the time consisted of Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman's seven guns and one or two guns to each town. They saw the hopelessness of their situation and decided to go to the English at Osu Castle and the Portuguese to buy as many guns, kegs of gun powder and pellets as each could afford in preparation for the impending war against the Akwamus. It was agreed that Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman and all the fetish priests would meet again to establish their strength in equipment before the return of the delegation from Abuakwa. This all-important meeting at Awukugua in the mid-month of January 1733 then came to an end.

​

The Opanyin Aye Kisi delegation was to assemble at Mamfe three days after the meeting to start their journey, but it was a week before they could all meet at Mamfe. They set off then through Nyansiso and Obom to Adweso. From Adweso, they were led by a hunter named Opare to Kukurantumi and on to Tafo. Here. the Tafo chief gave them men who took them to Akooko. The chief of Akooko also gave them guides to lead them to Akuropon Banso. The whole journey took two weeks. On arrival at Banso, they were led by Okyeame Asare Bediako to greet Ohemmea Dokua, who gladly received them and gave them to Odehye Aponkye as her guests.

 

Eventually, the delegation led by some elders of Ohemmea Dokua were brought before Nana Ofori Panyin who received them and heard their request. They were informed that their request would be put before the chiefs and elders of Nana Ofori Panyin's palace. About a month later they were called to put their requests to the chiefs and elders assembled at the palace. The delegation was once more given a date to return to the palace for the answer. On the appointed day, the delegation was told that Nana Ofori Panyin had detailed his own younger brother Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten to lead a large contingent of warriors to assist the Akuapems to fight the Akwamus. Shortly after that, the war party and the Aye Kisi Delegation departed Akyem Banso on their mission to join the Akuapcms in fighting the Akwamu people. Three months after the departure of the Opanyin Aye Kisi delegation to Akyem Banso, a message got to Nana Nwanwanyane of Abotakyi - Fetish Priest of TIPE BESIAKWAN, that the delegation would soon arrive with generals and men from Akyem Abuakwa. Meanwhile Nana Gyedu Nkansa, the Fetish Priest of KONKOM of Date (Larteh) who was a very old man had died and been succeeded by Nana Asiedu Kese an energetic young man.

 

On the arrival of the party from Abuakwa, all the fetish priests and Nana Ofei Kwasi Ageman met and welcomed them at a grand durbar at Amamprobi. The party consisted of all the members of the Aye Kisi Delegation and the younger brother of the chief of Abuakwa, Nana Ofori Panyin, Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten. There were also Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten's nephew, Safori, a host of male royals and numerous warriors. At this durbar, after the usual customary greetings, Opanyin Aye Kisi introduced the dignitaries among the warriors. The first was Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten, next was the nephew of both Nana Ofori Panyin and Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten who was also called Ofori, but was sometimes called Ofori Kuma so as not to confuse him with his Uncle Nana Ofori Panyin. Some people also called him ESA OFORI or SAFORI. Other generals were Gyamani Awere, from Akyem Akuropon Kodumase, Minta Afari also from Akuropon, Asare Kofi of Dwenase, Otupiri Agyedaa of Takyiman, and Adu Panyin also called Adu Ansere who was from Dumakyi Fankyeneko.

 

The introductions on both sides completed, Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten immediately took over and got down to the brass tacks of the business at hand. He asked about the war equipment strength of the Akwapems. He was told that they had acquired two hundred shot guns, a hundred kegs of gun powder and enough pellets to match the gun powder. Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten was satisfied with that and then requested that some scouts be sent out to do reconnaissance work and report back in three weeks’ time which they would all meet at Obosomase at the Kyenku shrine to "cook" the war.

 

All the warriors, every able-bodied person of the Akuapems, their fetish priests and Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman and his men assembled at Obosomase. After cooking the war and satisfying themselves that victory would be theirs, they "drank fetish" and swore oaths to Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten and he to them that they would be true to each other and never desert each other at the war front. Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten informed them that it was about time that messengers went to inform Nana Ansa Sasraku and his people that the Akuapems were at war with them. He then wanted volunteers. Four young men, one from Tutu, one form Apirede one from Mamfe and the other from Mampong, stepped forward offering themselves for this dangerous mission knowing very well that they would not return safe and sound if they returned at all. These brave young men were sent off and then the meeting set about arranging themselves for a tactical warfare.

 

Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten asked for volunteers who knew the layout of the land, preferably hunters to form an advance party, TWAFOFO. There was no difficulty in forming this advance party. Behind this party, Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten placed his own men and those of Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman as the centralc Striking Force Adonten. Then on the left of the Central Striking Force or ADONTENFO was the Left Wing Force, BENKUMFO to which he detailed the Guans, being, Mamfe, Abotakyi, Mampong, Tutu, Obosomase and Date (Larteh) Amanuasa. The Kyerepon Amanuonum comprising of Abiriw, Dawu, Awukugua, Adukurom and Apirede formed the Right Wing Force or NIFAFO. Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten then gave the final instructions that everyone at the war front should take care and listen to the drummers and the horn blowers who would be summoning them to rally to one point or the other as would be necessary. They should mark their flags well so that they would not take one another for the enemy.

Every warrior was to have enough fried maize powder (kyekyire), fried maize and other things in their food bags. Finally, messages were sent to their neighbours the Ga, the Krobo and the Kotoku people that by the next Fofie which was 17 days away, the Akuapems would wage war against the Akwamus so they should be aware of that fact.

 

The all-important Fofie arrived and the Akuapems led by the Abuakwa General and his men went to war against the Akwamus. At the onset of the war it was the Left Wing Force BENKUMFO of the Akuapems who met the main body of the Akwamu fighting force. This set the Akuapem Left Wing Force in a complete disarray and it sustained many casualties. The Abuakwa warriors who spear-headed the Central Force ADONTENFO seeing what was happening, edged in toward the left. The Akuapem Adontenfo had not then had any serious fighting, therefore, when they met the Akwamus on their left flank, the Akuapem warriors had enough guns and ammunition and a full force of fighting men. The Kyerepons at the right wing sensing that the battle was moving to the left also closed in, giving the Akuapems a solid frontline which massacred the Akwamus. The Akuapems captured over 300 men and about 150 guns from the Akwamus, whose dead and injured were too numerous to count. Meanwhile, the surviving members of the Akuapem Left Wing Force had regrouped and taken their place in the war.

​

The warring nations had been at war for about six weeks when a messenger from Nana Ofori Panyin at Akyem Banso reached Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten at the war front with the message that he was to return home with a small party to help fight the Asantes who had come to attack them. Barima Owusu Akyem Tenten left the main body of the Akyems and the Akuapems in charge of his nephew Barima Safori and left for Akyem Banso. Barima Safori was no less skilled in tactical warfare than his uncle. He successfully led the combined forces of the Akims and Akuapems to chase the fleeing Akwamus eastward until the Akwamus reached the River Volta. All seemed lost to the Akwamus having come to such a large river with no means of crossing and a wild combined force of Abuakwas and Akuapems hot on their heels. One could say that the Akwamus were between the DEVIL and the DEEP BLUE SEA. Before they were caught up by the Akuapems, however, they found a shallow point across the river and were able to cross to the eastern bank of the river.

 

The victorious Akyems and Akuapcms led by Barima Safori returned home to Amamprobi triumphantly, having succeeded in doing what they set out to do. Jubilation and festivities went on for almost three weeks after the triumphant entry by the victorious warriors to Amanprobi. Barima Safori then wanted to go home and personally report the victory to his uncle Nana Ofori Panyin. He therefore called all the fetish priests and Nana Kwasi Agyeman to a meeting at Amamprobi at which meeting he asked them how they were going to send him and his people home. The Akuapems who were at a loss as to how they were going to send the Abuakwa Party home, asked Barima Safori what he thought would be a befitting reward for such a glorious accomplishment. Barima Safori hinted that during the war, the Akyems lost 70 brave royals and about 930 citizens and slaves, a point the Akuapcms were to consider seriously. The Akuapems marvelled at this revelation and therefore asked Barima Safori what would satisfy them as a reward. Barima Safori then enumerated the items he required. Among them were ten TAKYIMANSUA (that is a certain sum of money), 12 new guns, 12 kegs of gun powder, 12 young men and 12 young women in addition to an equal number of royals, citizens and slaves lost in the war.

 

The Akwapem leaders went out for a consultation and came back soon after with a request to Barima Safori. Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman was their spokesman, he told Barima Safori that the Akuapems were not rich enough in resources and manpower to meet his demands. Again they thought with the Akyems gone, the Akwamus might come back and they would be back to square one. They therefore thought that they could give Barima Safori and his men a better reward by asking the Akyems to remain in Akuapem and rule over them for an indefinite period. This not being what the brave young general expected, he told them that he would have to go home and inform his uncle Nana Ofori Panyin who sent them. Barima Safori and his men left Amamprobi for Banso a week later with some messengers from Akuapems.

 

The messengers returned from Banso three weeks later with the answer that Nana Ofori Panyin had accepted their request and would send his royals and their companions to come to protect and rule over the Akuapems. This news was warmly received by the Akuapems. Six weeks after receiving the news, Nana Ofori Panyin sent off his nephew Barima Safori together with a host of royals this time, women among them and their servants to come and rule over the Akuapems.

 

When Barima Safori and his party arrived at Amamprobi, they were met by Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman and the fetish priests of Akuapem who warmly welcomed the Akyems. After the Akyems had been settled at Amamprobi, Barima Safori was unsure of the loyalty of the Akan-Kamena people who had broken off from the Akwamus during the war and had stayed behind. These were the people of Aburi, Atweasin, Brekuso and Ahwerase. Safori therefore decided to wage war on them. As soon as these Akan-Kamena people heard of the impending war, they went to Nana Safori at Amamprobi, led by the Aburi chief, Ofei Agyeman, and offer themselves to him as his subjects and paid the necessary homage to claim his protection: Nana Safori then accepted them and informed the rest of the Akuapem people. He also appointed a day when all the Akuapems would meet at Abotakyi to swear the oath of allegiance to him and he to them. On that day, a grand durbar was organised at Abotakyi which was attended by Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman and his Gyakiti people, all the fetish priests of the Kyerepon Amanuonum and their followers, the Guan fetish priests and their followers and the Akan-Kamena people led by the Aburi chief Nana Ofei Agyeman.

 

Nana Safori and his Akyem people both men and women also attended the grand durbar of the Akuapem people. At the durbar, the female royals who came along with Safori were introduced to the Okuapeman by Nana Safori himself through his Chief linguist, Okyeame Otupri. These female royals were Adwowa Gyankorama, Aso Temmaa and Aturukuo. In his address, Nana Safori informed the Okuapeman that their request for the Akyems to come and stay and rule over them, was duly presented to Nana Ofori Panyin of Akyem Banso. This request was considered and accepted. Nana Ofori Panyin then prepared him, Nana Safori, Ofori Panyin's own nephew, and sent him on his way with an entourage, befitting a paramount chief. The chiefly regalia that an Akan paramount chief must possess were also given to him by his uncle Nana Ofori Panyin. These included a BLACK STOOL. This BLACK STOOL embodies the soul of the state and his authority to rule over his state. The Black Stool was one of his uncle's stools which is called OFORI AKONNWA. Safori also brought from Akyem, state swords, linguist staffs, state umbrellas, gold nuggets, gold dust, beads, royal sandals, cloth and several other chiefly possessions. He, Safori therefore, had come at the request of the Akuapem people to rule over them as their first paramount chief bringing all the different ethnic people living along the Akuapem Ridge without a unifying leader, together under one leadership vested in him the paramount chief.

 

Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman then thanked him for accepting to come and rule over them and thanked his uncle Nana Ofori Panyin also for preparing him as a paramount chief for them. All the fetish priests, the Gyakiti chief, Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman and the Akan-Kamena chief Nana Ofei Agyeman, each swore the oath of allegiance individually to Nana Safori as their paramount chief. The Akuapems at that time not being a unified state did not have an oath to use. Nana Safori therefore gave them the oath of his uncle which was Okyehene Wukuda. Nana Safori then, also, swore the oath to all of them as their paramount chief.

The swearing ceremonies completed, Nana Asare Duasa of Awukugua informed Nana Safori that all the fetish priests of the Kyerepons and Guans and the chiefs of Gyakiti and the Akan-Kamena people had discussed and agreed upon a token they would publicly present to show to Nana Safori, his royals and his entourage, witnessed by all the people assembled to assure him that they would keep to their oath. They then buried a stone, ABONSAMMO in the centre of the durbar ground and said that, "That stone was their will and testament that they would serve and recognise Nana Safori and all his descendants as their paramount chiefs until the day that the stone - ABONSAMMO will germinate and grow". The rational behind the planting of the stone was that, the Akuapem people knowing that a stone cannot germinate and grow; and also being desirous of the Abuakwa royals to remain their Paramount Chief to protect and unite them forever, physically and wilfully planted the stone, thus surrendering completely to the rule of Nana Safori and his descendants to obtain their objective. Nana Safori thanked them for their loyalty and set off to work immediately. He set up the ruling party of his newly born AKUAPEM STATE on that historic Monday morning of mid-October in 1733. Nana Safori then informed the fetish priests that in the true sense of Akan chieftaincy, no fetish priest can be a chief. He therefore requested that if any of the fetish priests wanted to continue to lead his people as a chief, he must appoint someone to take up the fetish priesthood from him. All the fetish priests agreed to this, except Nana Baa Agyiri of Abiriw, the fetish priest of BOSOMPRA, who appointed his son to be a chief instead of himself. Thus the Akan system of chieftaincy was introduced and established in Akuapem.

 

Nana Safori then appointed the Akan-Kamena people as the central force, the ADONTEN DIVISION of the State, with the chief of Aburi, Nana Ofei Agyeman as their leader. Brekuso of the Adonten Division was made the permanent advanced party, TWAFOFO of Akuapem. The Kyerepons were made the Right Wing, NIFA DIVISION with Nana Asare Duasa of Awukugua as their leader. The Left wing, BENKUM DIVISION comprised of the Guans with Datehene (Lartehhene) Nana Asiedu Kese as their leader. Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman was made Mankrado a sub chief of the capital town of this new state of Akuapem which is Akuropon, named after the town where Nana Safori came from, Akropong Banso. Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman was also made second in command to Nana Safori.

 

Some Akyem nobles of the Asona clan and their families were appointed to live among the people of Akuapem as "ambassadors" of Nana Safori. They were designated as "Mankrados". In the Adonten Division, some were settled in Aburi as "Osomnyawa" and in Ahwerease as "Mankrado". In the Nifa Division, they were settled at Adukrom as "Mankrado" and in the Benkum Division at Date (Larteh) as “Mankrado.

 

It is worth noting that since the formation of the AKUAPEM STATE in 1733 the original 17 towns of Akuapem have increased in number with towns like Abonse, Aseseeso, Adawso, Kitase, Tinkon, Konko, Nsawam, Konkonuru, Gyankama, Adamrobe, Dodowa, Ahyiresu and several others springing up. The original Akuapem land which was boarded on the north-western side from the Nyansi River was extended by a gift of land from the Abuakwa chief to his nephew Okuapehene from the other side of Nyansi river to the Densu River, thus adding some Abuakwa lands, almost twice the original size of land occupied by both the Kyerepons and the Guans to form the present-day Akuapem territory .

​

​