Bono does not swear any allegiance to Asantehene. Stop the distortions and lies about our history

Author: Thomas Kofi Kyeremeh

Chiefs are not supposed to dabble in politics but Dormaahene mixed a dangerous cocktail of politics with tradition duties and for that he has received a barrage of insults from NPP supporters. I will not attempt to defend him because NPP and NDC record in the region does not support his vile attempt to placate John Mahama administration over what Akuffo Addo has done in Bono region. But he addressed distortions of Bono – Ashanti history that has drawn the ire from the Otumfour Asantehene. This should be a subject of deep interest for every Bono national especially the youth to know the truth, the veracity or otherwise of the basis of Otumfour’s claims on Bono.

It seems to me that anytime Asantehene goes through these episodes of megalomania or gets nostalgic about past glories, he makes imaginary claims like Bono is mine or Bono is part of Asanteman. Does Asantehene have a legitimate claim over Bono by reason of customary and historic rights as he seems to be making day he became the Asantehene. The mastery of Ashanti military fighting force has never been in dispute. The superiority of the legendry Ashanti army is a historical fact that is acknowledged by all historians. At its zenith, the Ashanti Empire stretched as far west as to La Cote I’voire and north to include parts of Gonja and Dagomba. It stretched south to the coast and east to include states in present day Oti region. Anyone who ascends a throne with such a pedigree and legacy can be forgiven for gloating about his past. But like all great powers in history, the Ashanti Empire sadly came to an end long before this present King ascended the throne. The British -Ashanti war of 1896 ended the once invincible empire when Prempeh I was exiled to Seychelles Island. Maybe this historical reality was not properly communicated to the Otumfour when he ascended the throne. The fall of the Ashanti Empire had consequences. It brought relieve to the vassal states who regained their freedom. Where then does the Asantehene seem to be drawing his historical parallels with his claims over Bono. The return of King Prempeh I and the reconstitution of Ashanti Confederacy has become the subject of intense debate between Bonos and Ashantis since 1935. Why has two groups; Bonos and Ashantis made different conclusions from the formation of one organization (Ashanti Confederacy)? What is the true historical background to this one Organization?

The end of slave trade and the Crown (Britain) was faced with an odious task of transitioning the colonies into fledging colonial entities administered by laws and proper state institutions. In running their new colonies, Britain faced a formidable enemy when the expatriate staff began to succumb tropical diseases like Malaria and mosquitoes in their hundreds This earned them (the colonies) a nickname as the Whiteman’s grave. Enter Lord Luggard to the rescue. In 1906 the British high commissioner of the protectorate of the Northern Nigeria Sir Lord Fredrick Lugard began experimenting with a system of indirect rule for the purpose of bringing local governance to the people through their traditional rulers. What this simply meant was the British will govern the people (natives) through the use of strong traditional rulers mostly for the collection of taxes. The success of Luggard’s experiment reverberated across the colonial office and the Governor in Accra wanted to introduce the Indirect Rule to the Gold Coast. What other authority (person) was well positioned to fit this role than the now exiled King of Ashante. Historians are unanimous in their agreement that this singular purpose was the reason why Prempeh I was allowed to return to the Gold Coast in 1925.

The Ashanti Confederacy; the very institution that has today been the reference point for Otumfour’s claim over Bono was created on 31st January, 1935. It is instructive to note that Bono states prior to joining the Confederacy were autonomous states. Techiman for instance had signed a treaty of protection with the Governor’s representative at Nkoranza on June 1897. From the very onset, the composition of Ashanti Confederacy was purely for administrative convenience to bring government policies to the natives. Membership was purely voluntary and evidence exists that some states that were invited to be part declined the offer. Denkyira for instance was included to the initial composition of Ashanti Confederacy but they declined and opted out. Atebubu was included in the confederacy but they opted out as well. Adansi which has never been part of the Ashanti Empire was invited to join the Confederacy and they took the offer to become part of Ashanti Confederacy. The import of this analogy is to draw home the point that with exception of the Ashanti nation which have become a monolithic group because of Sikadwa, no other independent state joined the Confederacy to swear allegiance to the Golden Stool. Bono and Ahafo were cajoled and persuaded by the BRITISH to join the Ashanti Confederacy an offer they reluctantly accepted because of the suspicion they harbored about what it could later be used for as we are witnessing today. Nonetheless Bonos held on to the inherent guarantees that as a Confederacy, they reserved the right to extricate themselves if need be.

My Ashante friends have unjustifiably argued over the years whenever I got into argument with them that Bono/ Ahafo region was created by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah out of his hatred of Ashantis. This fallacy is being fueled by comments such as was made by the Asantehene himself in his recent ranting at Akwasidae. Hear ye and hear me now my good friends: Dr. Kwame Nkurumah did not hate Ashantis and certainly not the reason for creating Bono/Ahafo region. Dr. Nkrumah was the product of the civil right movement, what he hated was the injustice committed against the Bono people under the guise of Ashanti Confederacy. If you like to find out the real motivation behind Dr. Kwame Nkrumah rushing the bill for the creation of Bono Ahafo region under a certificate of urgency get a copy of the committee report by the Mate Kole commission of 1951. Let me quote portions of the report to illicit your interest on the subject. In the summary on the agitation for a separate region by Bonos, Mate Kole report which was presented to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in November 1952 had this to say.

“The people (Bonos) have been regarded and treated with every possible contempt by the Ashantis in the past. There is no gain saying that the so-called historic unity of Ashanti has all along been a unity maintained by a strong suppressing hand at the sacrifice of the freedom and happiness for the non-Ashanti people like the Bono. I believe that our bid to remove imperialism from our country and to bring freedom and happiness to our people must not be limited only to the foreign forms of imperialism but also to local forms of imperialism. Freedom from fear within is as important to the happiness of men as freedom from fear without. To compel these people to continue to subject themselves to humiliation and exploitation from the Ashantis would be the saddest unkindness we would do to them. This is the reason why we have recommended that they should be given the council (region) which they have asked for”.

Bonos wanted out of Ashanti Confederation to free themselves from humiliation, suppression, imperialism and exploitation. An argument is often put out with some justification that some communities in Bono / Ahafo swear allegiance to the Golden stool a fact that was supported by Dr. Nkrumah’s own address on the subject at the time of creation of the region in 1959. From the very outset Bonos were cognizant and accepted the fact that our region was a motley collection of people from many different ethnic backgrounds which included Ashantis. Bonos have never objected to ethnic Ashantis going back to pay homage the Golden stool. Ahafos, Nkoranza, Awua Odumasi and many others have always gone back to Kumasi to pay their loyalties to Otumfour. But in 1958 Nana Abrefa Mbore Bediatuo VI (Wenchi) became the first Bono chief to openly defy the tradition and refused to swear an oath before the Confederacy. Since then no true Bono Chief has set foot in Kumasi to swear an oath before the “Golden stool”.

Did I hear him say Tano Subin was his property and they swear allegiance to the Golden Stool. On what basis does Tano Subin owe allegiance to Asantehene? We know where Ahafos, Berekum, Awua Odomasi, Nkoranza etc come from. What part of Asante does Offuman, Toubodum, Buoyam, Tanoboasi and Tanoso come from? If a past conquest of a people ties them in perpetuity to the Golden Stool why is the Asantehene not exerting such rights and privileges over Gonja, Dagomba Volta and Oti lands. You hop on to a quid pro quo arrangement with the British that allowed you to collect Taxes for the Crown to claim ownership over Bono. It is sad and pathetic. And you say oh but they took it to court and the court backed Asantehene claims over Tano Subin. It was a relic of colonial legacy, of course the courts are bound to back whatever arrangement the British left behind. This is the product of appeasement to the palace that allowed Britain to have dominion over a country. It is an appeasement that began when your forbearers became complicit in the supply of our fellow humans (Africans) as slaves to be shipped across the Atlantic. Akan was and still is the largest tribe in Ghana, if we had our act together the Whiteman would never have colonized our people let alone take us as slaves. Here on the African continent, Ethiopia was never colonized by any foreign power. But of course they had Menelik and other progressive kings. History must be used to correct past mistakes and unite past adversaries not an instrument to deepen wounds and drive a wedge between societies. You ask me why has the Blackman fallen behind all races. The answer is not farfetched. History is replete with numerous examples of how societies have mended deeply fractured relations for their common good. In atoning for Japanese atrocities against Korean people, Emperor Akihito said this on May 24, 1990 “Reflecting upon the suffering that your people underwent during this unfortunate period which was brought about by our nation, I cannot but feel the deepest remorse”. On September 01, 2019 upon a sober reflection on Germany’s atrocities to Polish Jews, German President Frank Steinmeier had this to say “I bow in mourning to the suffering of the victims, I ask for forgiveness of Germany’s historic debt. I affirm our lasting responsibility” calling the war a painful legacy. The year is 2022 and Otufour Osei Tutu II is still pounding his chest and gloating over how his ancestors destroyed Techiman, took their land and handed it to his son Baffo Pim; how he killed Dormaa Kusi and drove his people Wampaamu. It's sad to listen to a revered King make such unguarded, cruel and insensitive rendition of our history. He should know better even if that was the truth.

So Mr. Sarfo Kantanka and the likes of other latter day historians without conscience, please stop the distortions and lies about Akan history. Bono does not swear any allegiance to the Golden Stool. Do you know how Obiri Yeboah died.

Let’s continue the conversation. If you have any alternative historical facts to the contrary, stop the insults, please publish an article and help us educate Ghanaians especially the youth about the true Akan history.

Mr. Thomas Kofi Kyeremeh

Assist Gen Secretary of the council of Bono & Ahafo Associations of North America

Tag me at: [email protected]