TOWARDS RESOLVING THE CRISIS IN ''NEW'' JUABEN

In the light of recent developments at Koforidua, it is necessary to shed light on certain matters in order to understand why they are, as they are. Yes, acknowledged, the contending party in Koforidua have very legitimate grievances, which to be most polite, hasn't been dealt with, fairly at all. Itself, a fundamental reason for all the ills at Koforidua.

Where however I differ, is the contention that the Yiadom n Osei Hwere Stools of New Juaben, ought to go to only those Royals of Dwaben, who happen to have been born and raised in Koforidua only. THAT TO PUT IT MILDLY, IS SIMPLY NOT ON. Simply put, that contention has no basis in Dwaben Custom, Law and Stool Succession in as far as, those Stools are concerned, for those Stools are the property of the entire Royal Family, not that of the contending party in Koforidua alone.

It'll be necessary thus, to throw some light on the historical underpinnings of New Juaben(courtesy of New Juaben Council), which was founded when almost all the entire Dwabens, inclusive of their King, Queen, Royal Family, Prominent Families etc all migrated, save those who were unlucky enough to fall into the hands of their opposing forces then. Hopefully this will lead to an understanding and help bring about peace b/n the opposing factions in Koforidua:---

''The Great Migration under King Asafo Agyei((Interjections by yours truly))

Ohemaa Saponmaa was married to her cousin Nana Agyei TWUM, SON OF Juaben Kwasi Boateng and Krontihene of Juaben. The couple had two daughters, Akosua Afrakoma and Akua Boatemaa. Oral traditional has it that when Ohemaa Sapomaa died, Agyei Twum was appointed as caretaker of the Yiadom Hwedie Stool for the duration of the minority of his royal children.

However, ambition got the better of Agyei Twum and he contrived to get him as Juabenhene under the stool name of Asafu Agyei. His conduct outraged the rulers of the other Oyoko clan states of the Asante Confederacy- Kokofu, Bekwai, Nsuta and Kumasi- as Asafu Agyei was not the royal blood of Juaben and a member of the Oyoko clan.((Must be said here, that eventually with the connivance/active support of King Kwaku Dua Panin of Kumasi, who took advantage of the weakened state of the Juaben Royal Family then, he got himself enstooled as Juabenhene. No doubt too, the Ruling Royal House then too, saw it as a useful strategy to keep the Stool secure in their House, in the face of legitimate contenders from other Royal Houses)). His reign was marked by acrimony and dissension.

Although not of royal blood, Asafo Agyei proved to be a great King and soon succeeded in rebuilding and re-uniting the state, re-establishing peaceful and friendly relations with Kumasi and the neighbouring Asante states such as Effiduase and Asokore and winning back the allegiance and support of such vassal states as Krakye and Bassa.

He was also able to establish very strong trading links between Juaben and Salaga, the important terminus of the lucrative caravan trade between Hausa land and Ghana. By the early 1870's Juaben had indeed assumed its position as one of the most powerful and prosperous states of the Asante Union.((Its prosperity then, even outstripped Kumasi)).

BIG GAP
King Asafo Agyei and his compatriots, Yaw Omane, Chief of Effiduase and Anka Akyemfuor, Chief of Asokore, traveled subsequently to Cape Coast to petition the British Government for ammunition to continue the war against Asante but this was declined.

The bulk of the migrants became squatters on the lands around the site of modern Koforidua. In March 1877, the Government began negotiations with Adontehene of Akim Abuakwa, Nana Ampao, for land to resettle the Juaben people in the vicinity of Kukurantumi. King Asafu Agyei resisted Government's efforts to resettle his people in the Kukurantumi forest. He was detained in Elmina castle on August 4, 1877 and exiled to Lagos, Nigeria, a few months later, together with Yaw Omane and Anka for persistently plotting to renew the war with Asante.

In February 1878 the Juaben Chiefs informed Governor Freeling of their willingness“to settle at once upon the land which it was arranged they should occupy. Within a few weeks the Juaben Chiefs arrived at the present site of Koforidua to lay the foundation of the modern state New Juaben. The towns were conceived as “extensions” or outgrowth of the migrants' hometowns in Ashanti. Hence those from Effiduase, Asokore and Oyoko named their new towns after their old ones in Ashanti. The others from Juaben Ashanti, settled in Koforidua, Ada, Akwadum, Jumapo and Suhyien.

Some of the migrants founded their own communities in the heartland of Akyem Abuakwa. The category of settlements included Enyiresi, Kankan (Sekyere), Abekoase and Akadewaso.(Asaman Tamfoe ought to be included as well) Until the early 20th century owed allegiance to the New Juaben Sate.((Ofori Atta I contrived with his British pals, to illegally get their allegiance transferred to him)) Other migrants settled as individuals among the Akyems in their communities and owed allegiance to Kyebi. This category of Juabens could in Asuom, Kyebi, Osino, Osiem, Tafo, Kukurantumi, Apedwa, Osenanse, Nkronso, Kwaben, etc.

In May 1879, some fifteen months after the foundation of the New Juaben State was laid, Yaw Omane and Anka were repatriated from Lagos. Early in October of the same year, the new Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, Herbert Taylor Ussher, had King Asafo Agyei repatriated to Accra and released to join his people at Koforidua.

Asafo Agyei proved unrelenting in his animosity towards Asante and was exiled to Lagos for the second time on November 8, 1880, some weeks after the death of Queen Afrakomaa in Accra on October 26, 1880. Between November 3, 1880 and August 1885 four petitions for the repatriation of Asafo Agyei were turned down by the Colonial Governor, W.B. Griffith, who however, paid the passages of the King's son Asafo Boateng and daughter Boatemaa to visit their father in Lagos for 19 days. About eight months after their return, news was received of the death and burial of King Asafu Agyei in Lagos.

Until 1898 a triumvirate comprising Chief Akyeampong Kwasi, Chief Okyere, and Chief Asafu Boateng managed the affairs of New Juaben State on behalf of Princess Ama Serwaa((Daughter of Ohemaa Afrakomaa's sister, Nana Akua Mansa Boatemaa---the womb from which all the present Mansas descend)). In October 1901 Ama Serwaa left for Juaben, Ashanti. In her absence Chiefs Okyere and Asafo Boateng acted as caretakers. In June 1907 the Chiefs of New Juaben elected Asafo Boateng as their head Chief and petitioned Government for his formal recognition as Omanhene of New Juaben.

As government recognized the need to rally the New Juaben settlements around a central stool at Koforidua, it approved the consecration of a paramount stool for the New Juaben State and supported the enstoolment of Asafo Boateng, erstwhile Krontihene of Juaben Ashanti, and son of King Asafu Agyei as the first Omanhene of New Juaben State.((Somewhat controversial, but in those days, the word of the British Colonisers was Law)).

With the issue of the paramouncy settled with the active support and cooperation of Queen Ama Serwaa, it became necessary to assign responsibilities to stool bearers. The Effiduasehene became the Nifahene (Commander, Right Wing); the Asokorehene- Benkumhene (Commander, Left Wing); while the stool occupants from Juaben Ashanti, retained their respective titles. Chiefs were chosen for Oyoko, Akwadum, Suhyien, Jumapo and Ada. In the early 1940's the Oyokohene was made the Adontenhene (Commander of the Vanguard). The NEW Juaben State, as presently constituted, has ten divisions.

Nana Asafo Boateng died in 1931(actually 1921) and was succeeded by Nana Kwaku Boateng I, a member of the Royal family of Juaben Ashanti and son of Queen Ama Serwaa. It was during his reign that the present Palace at Koforidua was built and a number of Mission school established in the state. When he died in 1930, he was succeeded by his cousin, Osei Hwedie.

Nana Osei Hwedie's successor was his own brother, Adarkwa Yiadom, who occupied the stool on two occasions. In the interval was Nana Yaw Sarpon I of Koforidua(the late Nana Gyapong) who was succeeded by Nana Adarkwa Yiadom. After him was Nana Akrasi(i.e Nana Agyeman Akrasi of the Elder Royal House of Dwaben--Mpampama, who ruled with Nana Akua Num(sister of Opanin Adokwaabo--who hailed from the Duwaa House of Dwaben and was the New Juaben Queenmother in the period when Nana Juaben Serwaa of Koforidua(aka, Nana Akosua Agyeman abdicated)) , who was also succeeded by Nana Kwaku Boateng II, from 1962 to 1990.

His reign of twenty –eight years saw the modernization of the New Juaben State. He promoted social and economic activities, played a leading part in attracting the Workers Brigade to Koforidua, offered great assistance in the establishment of a number of secondary and preparatory schools in the Traditional area and played an important role in the transfer to Koforidua of the Regional House of Chiefs from Dodowa. He was an outspoken advocate of improved delivery of utilities, water, telephone and electricity in the traditional area.

Daasebere Kwaku Boateng II did a lot in fostering and developing cordial and effective links with Old Juaben, Kumasi and the other States of Ashanti. In furtherance of closer and cordial relations between Ashanti and the Juaben State, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the Asantehene, made a triumphant entry into Koforidua in 1985 as part of the Golden Jubilee celebration of the restoration of the Ashanti Confederacy. This visit has had a tremendous impact on the entire population of the New Juaben State.

In 1990 Daasebre Kwaku Boateng II died. He was succeeded in 1992 by Daasebere Professor (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, a member of the Yiadom-Hwedie royal family of both Asante Juaben and New Juaben, and son of Nana Akosua Akyamaa II, the late Queen of Juaben. Daasebere is the blood brother of his predecessor, Nana Akosua Boateng II; their grandmothers Nana Akosua Kyem alias Nana Akosua Akyamaa I and Nana Ama Bonsu(Direct Matriach of Ama Bonsu Lineage in Koforidua, who was born in Dwaben and relocated to Koforidua at a later on) were the daughters of Nana Akua Mansa Boatemaa of Juaben.''

Thus from the above, one sees that, Dwaben Royals irrespective of where in particular given birth to, have always been succeeding to the Stools, from well over nearly 100yrs ago.

((It isn't as if the succession to the Stools in Koforidua have always been a one way affair, i.e from Dwaben to Koforidua. Others who perhaps were born in Koforidua or lived there for a greater portion of their time---in effect could be considered as Koforidua indigenes also have ascended unto Stools in Juaben.

For instance, Nana Akosua Afrakomaa---mother of the late Nana Gyapong (Yaw Sarpong I of Koforidua), who herself was the daughter of Nana Ama Bonsu and hence uterine sister of Nana Juaben Serwaa II of Koforidua, was the reigning Queen of Dwaben, i.e Dwabenhemaa in the 1940/50s.

Nana Akosua Oheneafrewoo(Juaben Serwaa II of Nkrumah era's fame), the now oldest living Royal of Dwaben, spent a majority of her youthful days in Koforidua before being called up to take the Queenship of Dwaben.)).

Note: Personally, in order to resolve the crisis in Koforidua permanently, especially taking cognisance of the ardent stubborness(stubborness and doggedness is a trait of Dwabens---though in this instance, it is being misapplied) of both factions there, who ironically, hail from the same House, it is incumbent on the Dwaben Elders, particularly those who wield Kingmaking power, to endeavour to look elsewhere for suitable candidates for the Stools should they become vacant at any point in time. I.e, the Duwaas and Mpampamas, who are neutral, and hail from elderly Royal Houses---whose forebears, made Dwaben, Dwaben, ought to be given a chance exercise their long overdue rightful leadership.

Appoint either of the contending parties in Koforidua and even in Dwaben---perpetuate their monopolistic rule, and the polarisation, backbiting, bitterness and rancour, will continue.