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Formation of Akropong
The Akuapem people are an amalgamation of indigenous patriarchal, Volta-Camoe-speaking Guans and matriarchal, Kwa-speaking Akan people occupying the mountainous Akuapem Hills in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The Akuapem people are the most peaceful, respectful and humblest of all Ghanaian tribes.
The Akuapem people were originally Guan speaking people which includes Larteh Guan block namely Larteh, Mamfe, Abotakyi, Mampong, Obosomase, and Tutu and the Kyerepong (Okere) Guan block namely Abiriw, Dawu, Awukugua, Adukrom, Apirede, and Abonse-Asesieso. The Akan Twi-speaking towns include Akropong, the capital, and Amanokurom who are emigrants from Akyem and Mampong people who are also emigrants from Asante Mampong in Ashanti Region.
The name Akuapem was given to these multi-ethnic group by the famous warrior King, Nana Ansa Sasraku I of Akwamu. The name came from Akan Twi phrase “Nkuu apem” which means “thousand groups.” He gave them these name after the people overwhelmed his Akwamu invading army. The name “Nkuu apem got corrupted to Akuapem as we know them today.
The Akuapems then known as the Hill Guans were living very peacefully with their neighbors; Agonas, Gas, Krobos, Akyems and the Ductch until the Akwamus came to the scene and started brutalizing them.
When the Akwamu brutalities on mainly the Guans, and the Kyerepongs on the Hills had gone beyond control and intolerable the leadership had these settlers summon a meeting to chart and discuss a way out of their predicaments.
Gyedu Nkansa of Larteh, was then the chief priest and chief warrior of the Guans, was referred to as the King of the Guans and in that capacity the leader of Akuapem.
The continued stay of the Akyem after the fall of Akwamu is recounted in two traditions. One tradition narrates that after the expulsion of Akwamu, the Hill Guans feared that the proverb “if you have no master, someone will seize and sell you” might be fulfilled. So, they sent messengers to the Akyem king to appoint someone to rule over them (Kwamena-Poh 1973: 46). They realised the dangers in their loose federation and were prepared to come under a centralized political authority.
The second tradition has it that the Akyem were asked to rule the Guan due to their inability to pay off the debt they had incurred by inviting them to assist in the war. The negotiations went on until 1733 when the Akyem dynasty finally established itself on the hills.
Given the loose settlement set-ups of the Akuapems, the Akyems used their chieftaincy and political skills to their advantage. The institution of chieftancy as we know of today was non-existent then. The leadership of the Hill Guans consisted of Priest and Priestesses with Gyedu Nkansa the Chief Priest and Chief Warlord of the Guans as leader of Akuapem.
The Guan community met at Abotakyi where an oath was administered with a promise that they would never throw off their allegiance to the Akyem or any of their successors (Reindorf 1966: 89-90). The name of the Hill Guans was changed to Akuapem.
The etymology means “nkoaapem”, a thousand slaves, a name that the Akwamu used to refer to the Hill Guan during their rule, or akuw-apem, a thousand companies as they called themselves (Kwamena-Poh 1973:34).
1733 - BIRTH OF AKROPONG
To confirm and ratify the agreement, the Akuapems decided to take an oath of the fetish Kyenku of Obosomase. They all met at Abotakyi and the oath was administered with the promise that they would never withdraw their allegiance to King Safori or any of his successors.
For administrative convenience King Safori had moved his seat from Amamprobi to Nsorem, the present site of the Akropong-Abiriw market, just before he died in 1731.
In the same year, his successor, King Fianko Betuafo began establishing the town of Akropong around the huge Mpeni tree and it was during the reign of the fourth occupant of the Ofori stool- King Kwapong Kyerefo- that the Black Stool was moved in 1743 from Nsorem to be housed at Akropong and the town of Akropong made the capital and the seat of government of Akuapem.
DIVISIONS WITHIN AKUAPEM TRADITIONAL AREA
Shortly after the founding at Akuapem State the then Okuapehene, Fianko Betuafo who succeeded Sakyiama Tenten after the death of king Safori , set out to organize the new “Territory” into a regular Twi order to establish the basis of Chiefly Seniority.
The common enemy (The Akwamus), having been driven away, and besides the fear that they might return, there was the need for the new regime to institute an effective internal security system to face any future aggression. This consideration influenced the process of allocating offices and of creating new stools.
Five divisions were created and are described as follows.
1) Kuronti Division:
Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman, the Gyakiti warlord, who originally took center stage in inviting the Akyem Abuakwa contingent and led the warriors to crush the Akwamus, was made the Senior Divisional Chief with the title of Adontenhene No.1 and Akroponghene. In the course of time, the title “Adonten No.1” was re-designated to that of Kurontihene. The change of title, however did not offset his position as the Senior Divisional chief and Akroponghene.
3) Nifa Division:
The seven Kyerepong towns of Abiriw, Dawu, Awukugua, Adukrom, Apirede, Adonse and Aseseeso constituted the right wing or the Nifa Division of Akuapem with the Nifahene as the Divisional Chief based at Adukrom.
5) Adonten Number 2
Aburi, Ahwereasen, Brekusu, with Chief of Aburi as Adontenhene
2) Gyase Division:
The Akyems who were made to reside at Akropong and Amanokrom were made “Koman” and the position of Gyasehene was given to Nana Kwatia Akompi, the leader of the collateral branch of the Akyems who settled at Amanokrom.
4) Benkum Division:
Lareth Ahenase, Lareth Kubease, Mamfe, Mampong, Abotakyi, Tutu and Obosomase constituted the left wing portion of the state or Benkum Division with the Chief of Lareth Ahenase as the Benkumhene.
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