Is Barima Tweneboa Kodua I’s Kumawu cursed or what?

Barima Tweneboa Kodua I, was primus inter pares (first among equals) when it came to the exhibition of boldness, the love and protection of the Ashanti Kingdom against their then common but most powerful enemy, Nana Ntim Gyakari I of Denkyira.

Barima Tweneboa Kodua I joined the membership of the Kingdom in his own right as a successful powerful warrior and a fearsome conqueror, having captured a vast land during his Ataale Fram war. He took his independent Apemso state, now Kumawu, to join the Kingdom.

He put forward his life to be sacrificed to save the Ashanti Kingdom during their war with the Denkyiras, but on agreed terms, the principal among which are the following.

a) None of his Kumawu royals, by extension Kumawu people, should ever be killed on the death and burial of any chief or king within the Kingdom. (This request was made to counter then prevailing common practice of sacrificing subjects for the burial of chiefs)

b) No Asantehene, or the other members of the Kingdom, should team up to march to war on Kumawu. The doom of the Kingdom is spelled the very day that they go to war against Kumawu.

c) No Asantehene should ever feed from Kumawu land, thus, no Asantehene should ever expropriate any part of Kumawu land.

The agreed demands notwithstanding, and several years down the line, the current Asante Overlord, to be precise, the Ceremonial Head, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has breached the accepted agreement to the detriment of Kumawu.

As I write, he has not only criminally availed himself of vast tracts of Kumawuman stool lands but severally allegedly arranged using government machinery to attempt to kill or harm some very members of the rightful royals of Kumawu, the Ananangyas.

When one goes to Kumawu today, one will see the shameful state of the town. One is greeted on arrival by rusted roofing sheets and a town come under the savageries of the weather, thus, vagaries of erosion.

Sharp stones are popping out of the ground to do harm to unsuspecting visitors not familiar with such areas of Kumawu, the headquarters of the Kumawu district and the seat of the paramount chief of Kumawu traditional area.

Kumawuman had been lucky to have its fair share of the rich persons in Ghana, however, the current state of Kumawu does not indicate a town where the late Mr Benjamin Amponsah (B. A) Mensah and his likes of rich people hailed from.

Going back to the story, the current queen of Kumawu, Nana Abenaa Serwaah Amponsah with her self-styled Kumawuhene brother, Dr Yaw Sarfo aka Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua, has made matters worse. Out of insatiable love of money and wealth, she has colluded with once her boyfriend, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to expropriate hundreds of thousands of hectares of Kumawu stool lands for his selfish interests at the expense of Kumawuman citizens and the traditional area.

The level of unemployed youths in Kumawuman is alarmingly high. Nevertheless, the land that could have been put to use for the collective interests of Kumawuman subjects has now become the property of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Sad though.

The most painful aspect of the whole issue is, anyone that stands up to fight for the very poor Kumawuman citizens gets hated by some of the people out of sycophancy to Asantehene and sheer stupidity and ignorance.

Serwaah Amponsah and her brother should re-examine themselves to see if they are serving the best interests of Kumawuman citizens by their actions, or they are just interested in power for its own sake and their quest for personal wealth.

The situation becomes more painful when well-educated Kumawuman historians who should know better, run to side with Otumfuo in all his illegalities slyly instituted against Kumawuman. Such people should bow down their head in shame.

This is just a quick one and God willing, year 2023 will let Ghanaians read more about Kumawuman and how the citizens can liberate themselves from the poisonous tentacles of the colluding traditional leaders whose actions are ruining the lives of the people, the image and scenery of Kumawuman.

Happy New Year to all discerning Kumawuman citizens the world over.

Rockson Adofo
Sunday, 1 January 2023