...the Cohesion of the Asante Kingdom.
John Fosu
Some people are of the opinion that Asante Kingdom does no longer exist. To them, it is now history. As the Vatican City is an independent State within the City of Rome, so is the Asante Kingdom still a powerful State within Ghana though without its independence.
Anyway, the thrust of this write-up is to sensitize the Asantes to the gradual but progressively weakening of the once powerful Asante Kingdom. The actions and inactions of the current Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II coupled with the utter display of dishonesty by his inner core confidants or lieutenants, is fast eroding that strong foundation upon which our ancestors founded and built the Asante Kingdom.
The Golden Stool, the embodiment of unity amongst the various separate States that came together to form the Asante Union called the Asante Kingdom, is in danger of losing its significance. The Asantehene Great Oath that we invoke in attempts to challenge certain abuses, then re- establish the truth to bring about lasting peace among litigants within the Union, is in danger of being reduced to a laughing stock. Its invocation played decisive role in conflict resolution during the era of our ancestors. We expect the oath to exercise the same function as in the old good days but the current Asantehene has a different nonchalant attitude to its invocation. The Oath has now become a White Elephant, a toothless bull of course.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II gave his promise to Asanteman Council late last year with confirmation early this year. He promised he would not only arbitrate four major chieftaincy cases pending before the Council but also would ensure he installed successor paramount chiefs in all those cases by the end of June 2012. The towns involved are Juaso, Essumeja, Kumawu and Adansi Fomena. He had plans to include that of Kuntase. Now we are in the middle of July 2012 but none of the cases has been resolved let alone, installing a chief. What has happened to his promise? How does he value promises? Although a promise is a debt to pay but not the debt itself, he should always try to fulfill his promises or he had better not make them at all.
I will choose to dwell on Kumawu chieftaincy issue, citing instances where people close to the Asante Overlord are acting in contrast to instructions issued to them. Not long ago, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II tasked Kumasi Akyeamehene to resolve the petty squabbles between the two factions of the Kumawu sub-chiefs. Kontrihene, Gyaasehene, Saanahene, Saamahene and Kyeame Kodua are on one side. Aduanahene, Akwamuhene, Bodweasehene and Akyeampemhene are on the other. The motive of Otumfuo behind the request was probably to ensure any future paramount chief of Kumawu when installed would not come to find his sub-chiefs acrimoniously at each other's throat. This was a good move by Asantehene. Nevertheless, the Akyeamehene has not bothered to arrange any meeting with the mentioned sub-chiefs. What another perfect delay tactics to put the Kumawu chieftaincy on hold. Is Akyeamehene not undermining Otumfuo? If he is, what is Otumfuo doing about it?
Asantehene via the same Akyeamehene scheduled a meeting for the mentioned elders of Kumawuman with Bodomasehene who doubles as Kumawu Nifahene, and Kumawuhemaa inclusive. He had to cancel or postpone his trip to South Africa by a day because of the arranged meeting with the invited traditional elders. The meeting was due for Monday, 16 July 2012 at 08:00. Nobody knew why Otumfuo arranged such urgent meeting with the elders. Was it subsequent upon the peaceful demonstration embarked on by the youths of Kumawuman on Monday 9, 2012? Unfortunately, the emissary sent to invite the elders may have indicated to them a wrong time for the meeting - 10:00.
When they all arrived at 10:00, they saw Otumfuo in a convoy, on his way to the airport to enplane to Accra and then abroad. The elders of Kumawuman could not respect the time given - 08:00. If the messenger from Manhyia did tell them a wrong time, was it for a mischief? Your guess is as right as mine is. Anyway, all these minor tricks - tiny droplets in the ocean of course - will accumulate to form a tsunami to rip Asanteman apart if allowed to continue.
No matter what Kumawuhemaa does, she will never succeed with her selfish plans. I advise her to read the following if she has forgotten the history of her origin. Kumawuhemaa with her supposed Ankaase royal family is not a true paramount royal of Kumawuman. She may be a true royal elsewhere in the Fulani land but not in the Kumawuman.
The Kumawu Ankaase royals who have been ruling the Kumawu traditional area and the people therein are NOT true royals. They are as ordinary as anyone else is. They are the descendants of one "Ayo" a Fulani slave girl purchased at Ejisu market in those days. Her purchasers took her to Kumawu palace to become a slave house cleaner. As beautiful as she was, she married and gave birth to Yaa Mansah, a succulent damsel (who grew up to become a fetish priest) and Yaw Dabo. Briefly, Asantehene Osei Yaw Akoto married Yaa Mansah and that gave his brother-in-law, half-Fulani and half-Asante (Yaw Dabo), the privilege to diabolically manoeuver to get the then reigning Kumawuhene from the true Ananangya royal family killed. It all happened when Kumawuhene did not kill Nana Kwasi Boateng, the then Asante-Juabenhene who was fleeing Asanteman war declared on him by Nana Osei Yaw Akoto.
Nana Kwasi Boateng with his large number of entourage or subjects escaped through Kumawu via Abenaso to Agogo, then to the current New Juaben in the Eastern Region in what became as the "Akwantu Kese" (the Great Voyage). Anyone desiring to read more about this subject should please revisit my previous publications on the story by simply clicking on my name above. That will take him or her to all my published writings on Kumawuman. When highwaymen, an incident that some indirectly blame on the evil machinations of Yaw Dabo, killed Kumawuhene his brother-in-law, Nana Osei Yaw Akoto, nominated him as a caretaker (regent). Nana Osei Yaw Akoto tasked Dabo to ensure the decent burial of the murdered chief and the prevalence of peace in Kumawu. The subjects deposed Yaw Dabo three years later. This is how the current family calling themselves Ankaase royal family gained access to the Kumawu paramount stool. They are not royals but diabolical beings from the Fulani land, so to speak. You can even tell from recent developments how wicked these Fulani are. Wickedness is within their genes. Look how deplorably the Fulani were behaving in the Agogo area and in the Eastern Region. Similarly, Kumawuhemaa has behaved wickedly towards the true Ananangya & Odumase royals and the good people of Kumawuman all these years.
For the safe escape route offered Nana Kwasi Boateng and his subjects through Kumawu- Abenaso, he made a solemn promise to reward the Abenaso people very handsomely. After his safe passage, he instructed his other royals left in Juaben to release a parcel of land in Juaben to the people of Abenaso as a thank you for saving his life from the hands of Nana Osei Yaw Akoto. The Abenaso people who had doubted the promise made to them by a desperate chief (Nana Kwasi Boateng) running away for his sheer life became astonished at the materialization of the promise. They then called the place ASIAMPA. (Asi ampa meaning it has truly happened as promised).
Kumawuhemaa and the Kontrihene will fail in all their attempts to subdue the good people of Kumawuman. Now that the story about the ineligibility of Kumawuhemaa as paramount royal is clear to all, it has automatically delivered the knockout blow that will send her to her knees.
I will advise the arrested demonstrators due for court to fear no foe. They are already more than conquerors.
John Fosu