The Asante Agona Abusuapanin of Akyem Apedwa in the Abuakwa South municipality of the Eastern Region, Opanin Samuel Kweku Obeng, has hinted that the overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panain is not the allodia owner of Akyem Apedwa lands.
According to Opanin Obeng all lands at Akyem Apedwa belong to the Denkyira Agona Clan which are entrusted in the care of Apedwahene who is considered as a caretaker chief by tradition.
This is because even today, the Apedwa Chief is regarded as the descendant of the original caretaker Chief who did not take part in any war to own land and hence has no land for themselves.
“We still insist that, all that large tract of land from the Apedwa Forest descending to the Birim River and beyond the Densu River on the eastern boundary through Kotoku engulfing the Nyanowa Hills are the property of the Denkyira Agona and Asakyiri Clans”, he stressed.
All other clans in Apedwa were given lands by the Denkyira Agona and Asakyiri Clans to farm and settle on due to intermarriages and friendship. So Apedwa lands have remained as such to date and at no time have these lands been transferred to Okyehene by the Denkyira Agona and Asakyiri Clans.
The Asante Agona Abusuapanin of Akyem Apedwa made the remarks at a press conference organized by principal opinion leaders of Akyem Apedwa and Mankata family of Panpanso at the press center in Accra on Tuesday.
The press conference was in response to a recent press conference held by a group of people calling themselves Okyeman Youth Association (OYA) on land issues within the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.
According to OYA Okyehene is the immemorial allodia owner of all lands in Akyem Abuakwa, therefore claim of ownership of 27,000 acres of lands acquired sold to Koans building solutions by Mankata and Quansah families and Apedwa Stool are untenable.
But in his attempt to set the record straight, the Asante Agona Abusuapanin hinted a letter signed by one Barima Yentumi Boaman dated September 17, 2014 on behalf of Okyehene authorized one Nana Yaw Opoku from Okyehene’s Palace to enter into a joint negotiation with Apedwahene on one part and Nana Mankata Family on the other in principle to sharing the Panpanso lands.
“So, how come now, a representative of the Okyehene’s Palace is alleging that the land belongs to the Okyehene and has been stolen by the people of Apedwa ”, he asked.
He said, Akyem Apedwa are proud of their heritage as Akyem and members of the Amantuomiensa of the Akyem Abuakwa State where they respect the political leadership of Ofori Panin Fie.
“However, it is not disrespectful to state the truth that the Okyehene is not the allodia title owner of Akyem Apedwa lands and that the present Okyehene is the first Okyehene who is attempting to interfere with the legal interests of the people of Akyem Apedwa on their own lands.”
“That it would not be out of place and a show of respect for Ofori Panin Fie when any piece or parcel of land is leased or sold for development purposes or the public good some of the monies accrued therefrom are paid to Ofori Panin Fie. But this does not mean that Ofori Panin Fie must arrogate to itself the illegal sale of lands that do not belong to them”
He said all those persons who have bought or buying or leasing lands belonging to Akyem Apedwa or Panpanso and doing so directly from the Okyehene or his agents or privies or workmen or servants have done so illegally or doing so illegally.
He has therefore, advised the public to do due diligence and contact the true allodia title owners, the Denkyira Agona and Asakyiri Clans (for Akyem Apedwa lands) and the Abusuapanin of the Mankata Family and the Chief of Panpanso (for Panpanso lands).
He said except for those pieces or parcels of land with documentary proof that their ancestors have already sold out to individuals and organizations, all other lands remain the property of Akyem Apedwa and not Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council or Ofori Panin Fie.
According to him, Okyehene being the political head of the respected Akyem Abuakwa State ought to advise all those persons who hold themselves out as land guards and operate under the canopy of Okyehene’s Land Task Force to desist from acts of intimidation, threats and assaults on individuals and destruction of people’s properties or lands that belong to Akyem Apedwa and Panpanso.
He stated that the Okyehene lacks the capacity to enter onto any piece or parcel of land directly belonging to Akyem Apedwa and the Mankata Family without their express consent.
Opanin Obeng accentuated, they intend to challenge in court any assertion by the Okyehene or Abuakwa Traditional Council or Ofori Panin Fie that any of themselves, jointly or severally, have any allodia interest in the lands at Akyem Apedwa and Panpanso.
Historical facts
Giving an historical background, the Asante Agona Abusuapanin of Akyem Apedwa stated that after the fall of the Denkyira Kingdom in 1701 at the hands of the Asante King Osei Tutu I, a Royal and one of the surviving Chiefs of the Denkyira Kingdom moved his loyalists including elders and army southwards.
He continued that they settled at Breman, near present day Jukwa in the Central Region. He took with him his stool, his Chief Warrior, Kwasi Bosumtwi, his priest (Obosomfo) who was the carrier of his clan gods. His sisters who followed him were Odobemaa (alias Obenewa), Anobea and Owiredua(who went missing in transit).
Opanin Samuel Kweku Obeng indicated that after a short stay, they moved from Breman eastwards and there entered a relationship with a new deity called Nana Obuor (alias Nana Obuor Kofi Fante), who travelled with them. They fought many battles until they reached a location they named Oda.
To him since their clan name was Agona and they originated from Denkyira, they preferred to identify to other Agona Clans on their journeys and covered up their identity as Denkyiras.
From Oda, their deity urged them to move to present day Akyem Apapam and later to Oforidum (popularly known in present day Apedwa as “Foodum”): this was in 1709.
At Oforidum, the Akwamus, who were traders and a dominant fighting force settled on the banks of the River Anowa. On the instructions of their deities, the Denkyira Agona changed the name “Anowa” to “Bone”.
The military strategist for Denkyira Agona was Kwasi Bosomtwe, who on perceiving the threat posed by the Akwamus, led an attack on the Akwamus and drove them out of their location and took over their land and relocated them from Apedwa, this was in 1709.
Indeed, some of the landmarks of the bathhouses of the Akwamu Kings still remain as a historical relic at a location at present day Apedwa.
The root of the name of Apedwa is from “apԑ edwa” to wit “where people loved to do business or do their marketing”, and the location was a popular market destination for Akwamu merchants.
The Asakyiri Clan were impressed at the bravery exhibited by the Denkyira Agona for defeating the Akwamus. Consequently, the Asakyiri Clan entered into a strategic alliance with the Denkyira Agonas in their joint forces thenceforth won many wars.
There was another war at Ogyadamu which Kwasi Bosomtwe led and once again, the great military alliance held back an Asante invasion. It was after this that the Ɔkyehene decided to reward the Denkyira Agona for their bravery, and therefore, asked the Asakyiri Clan to join the Denkyira Agona to form a new township at “Apԑ edwa”, which the Denkyiras had already captured from the Akwamus.
The right side of the new settlement was given to Nana Ohemen and he named it “Denkyira Breman” to honor the Denkyira Agona and to remember that the Denkyira Agona hailed from Abankeseeso and moved after the fall of Nana Ntim Gyakari to Breman near Jukwa. To date, that area is still known as Breman.
The Denkyira Agona was given the Chieftaincy title but this did not go down well with the Asakyiri Clan so part of the Asakyiri Clan broke away in protest to settle at Owia nkyen mu to be known latter as WIRENKYIREN DADAMU latter moved to present day Wirenkyiren Amanfrom (popularly known as Amanfrom).
Not long after this, another war broke out and the joint great alliance army was called upon to do battle and this time again, they were led by Kwasi Bosomtwe and they won the battle. After the army returned home, Kwasi Bosomtwe was nominated by Nana Ohemen as Chief in waiting after returning from a war for Ɔkyeman in 1734. Not long after his nomination, he was shot when he had gone to ease himself.
So when Nana Ofori Panin I, King of Akyem Abuakwa heard of the wounds from a gunshot, he went to visit his great warrior, Kwasi Bosomtwe at Apedwa.
It was Nana Ofori Panin I who placed a fresh cola nut in the palm of the great Kwasi Bosomtwe of the Denkyira Agona army, who died in the arms of Nana Ofori Panin I. While dying, Kwasi Bosomtwe said “dabi mo bԑ kae me” [dabi Ɔkyeman bԑ kae me].
When he died, the Okyehene supervised his burial and called the place of the burial “mpԑni adae” to wit “resting place for a great man”.
The Denkyira Agona Clan suspected the Asakyiri Clan for conspiracy to shoot Kwasi Bosomtwe and this left a sharp rift between the two allies who nearly went to war. The Asakyiri in insinuation invented a tune on a talking drum to which sounds as “wo kukuru kukuru a, wo ye kwa” meaning “however you carry yourself it leads to nowhere”. The Denkyiras also responded “dodoɔ yԑ dԑ” to wit “it is pleasant to be many” and “deԑ aso teteԑ yԑ tan” to wit “the rumours are ugly”.
After the passage of a few years, the Okyehene asked for a new Chief from Nana Ohemen who after consulting with the elderly women, agreed on a nominee who was not a direct descendant of the Denkyira Agona Clan.
He was, however, a member of another so-called Agonas whom the Okyehene had camped at Panor (near present day Kyebi) and decided to hand them over to Nana Ohemen for safe custody and settlement at Apedwa.
The man who was nominated named Gyԑkye was to be a caretaker Chief, and was to follow strict instructions; these instructions included the fact that he was to renew his mandate on an annual basis by carrying a live sheep across the back of his neck at the shrine of the Denkyira Agona Clan and the sheep would be slaughtered and its blood poured on his feet.
He would be given only one thigh of the sheep to cook for himself and his family. This was to appease the gods and to ask for the renewal of his mandate to be a Chief the following year.
It was agreed that, on his death, the Stool would be taken by Nana Ohemen and given to a descendant of the Denkyira Agona Clan as the true owner of the Stool.
In the absence of the caretaker Chief, the Queen mother was to perform the sheep carrying and slaughtering ritual.
The other instruction was that the lands acquired through conquest was not part of the inheritance of the caretaker Chief or his clan but rather the Denkyira Agona and Asakyiri clans would continue to be the allodia title owners. Indeed, this ritual has continued till this day and that means that whoever is Chief in Apedwa is not the allodia holder of lands in Apedwa.
The Asakyiri were given the Amankrado (Krontihene) to wit “the custodians of the land and second in command in the town”.
The Denkyira Agonahene would in the absence of the Chief who on a yearly basis pays homage to the Denkyira Agona Abusuapanin takes over as Chief. Furthermore, whoever is elected as Chief of Apedwa, has to be elected by the Abusuapanin, Agonahene and the Queen mother.
Furthermore, the Agonahene of the Denkyira Agona is the last to perform his “ahwieyԑ” to signify that he is the owner of the Apedwa land and also his authority over the town (“Opanin dware wie a, na nsuo asa” to wit “when the elderly complete taking their bath, it means there is no more water”).
Whenever the substantive Apedwahene attends a function in Apedwa and the Agonahene is already seated, the latter does not rise for the Chief whereas all other Clan Chiefs have to rise for the Chief; this signifies the authority of the Agonahene over the Apedwa Chief.
This is because even today, the Apedwa Chief is regarded as the descendant of the original caretaker Chief who did not take part in any war to own land and hence has no land for themselves.
Indeed, the Apedwahene’s land he farms on is traditionally land that belongs to the Denkyira Agona Clan. We still insist that, all that large tract of land from the Apedwa Forest descending to the Birim River and beyond the Densu River on the eastern boundary through Kotoku engulfing the Nyanowa Hills are the property of the Denkyira Agona and Asakyiri Clans (attached herewith is a site plan).
All other clans in Apedwa were given lands by the Denkyira Agona and Asakyiri Clans to farm and settle on due to intermarriages and friendship. So Apedwa lands have remained as such to date and at no time have these lands been transferred to Okyehene by the Denkyira Agona and Asakyiri Clans.
