It’s an interesting story about how three very independent, and unique ethnic groups in Ghana decided to move in and come together as one people – a people who are now identified as Adas.
The story is told about how over 300 years ago, the Dangme people who are one of the tribes found in several places in the country, decided to move South Eastwards of the country.
They settled in a forest called Okor Hwemie and were led by priests.
During this same period, the Denkyira war fought between the Ashantis and the Denkyiras occurred, leading to a break by some persons from both tribes. These persons were said to have left the Ashanti and Denkyira people to look for a place to settle.
They eventually met the Dagme group which had already settled at Okor Hwemie and both groups decided to stay together, considering the help they could offer each other.
Shedding more light on what happened to Wonder Ami Adu-Asare in this edition of People & Places, Stool father of the Kabiawe Yumu clan in Ada, Numo Israel Kartei Abram Akuako explained;
“Ada is made up of 3 major different tribes, they are not one tribe that migrated to this place, rather, the first tribe to have migrated to this place were the Dangme tribe and they were with other Ga Dangme people in a place called Lorlovo, about 700 years ago in the Eastern Regional part of Ghana, near the Volta River.
“They were together in love with the Ewes and the Akans, and then they broke up so 4 of the Dangme clans came South Eastwards to a forest known as Okor Hwemie. Okor means pure people, they were priests who led them. They were led by people like Adi, Korli, and Lommo. These were hunters, fisherfolks and traders,” Numo Israel Kartei Abram Akuako said.
“And then the Akans, where myself and my queen come from came, they were the Ashantis and Denkyiras and during the Ashanti and Denkyira war, they had an altercation with the King of Ashanti and Denkyira so they left their own blood people and they were looking for a place to also settle. They came to meet the Dangme tribe which came first.
“The Akans were led by Kabu to join them in the Okor Forest. They formed a union and realized they could help each other,” he added.
According to Numo Israel Kartei, the Akans and Dangmes after some time, decided to move out of the forest for a better land to stay on.
They then settled around the plains near Songhor, where salt is mined in Ada today.
Subsequently, some Ewe groups including the Kogbor and Owhoewem people who were also sojourning, looking for a settlement ground, found these persons and decided to join them.
The Ewe story had a slightly different twist he explained, because aside from the Kogbor and Owhoewem people among the Ewes who joined them later, there were already the Kudragbe people who were living on one of the Islands in Ada.
“They later moved to the plains near where the salt is and then the Ewes came to join them.
“The first to come were the Kogbor people (meaning to settle with the Okors) but there was one Ewe tribe called the Kudragbe clan which were already by the riverside there, on the Island. So when the Adas came, they also saw them, they were led by one Ahaviatse, then the Owhoewem also joined them so we have 3 Ewe clans, joining the 4 Dangme clans and then the Akan clans.
“Formerly it was 5, then we came to 7 then now we have 10 clans that form the nation of Ada,” Numo Israel Kartei noted.
Numo Israel Kartei Abram Akuako (r) narrating the story of the Ada people to Wonder Ami Adu-Asare