The Forgotten People And Heroine, Dode Akaabi. Part 1

DISCLAIMER!!!
I am the great grand daughter of this great woman but I write this purposely to preserve history devoid of any emotional sentiments and personal association with the character.

Dode Akaabi, the grand daughter of Wettey, the leader of the Obutus(Awutus) one of the Guan tribes and the Guans as a whole, and a princess of Obutus( Awutus) married one of the king of the Gas, Mampon Okai also known as Dua Kwei and bore him a son by name, Okaikwei.

The Obutus(Awutus) established a good relationship with the Gas who before their encounter with the Obutus(Awutus) had their "Wulomos"( Spiritual leaders) leading them. The Obutus had kings and the association of the Gas with them led to their commencement of Kings ruling instead of the Wulomos.

Till now, though the Awutus are Guans, they are also considered as Gas because of Dode Akaabi's rule in the Ga land and the miscegenation between the Gas and the Obutus(Awutus). The Awutus and Senya Bereku was assimilated into the family of Naiwe in the Ga land and till date, the ruling families of Awutu and Senya Bereku bear the title of " Nai" in recognition of their blood relationship with the Gas.

The Obutus(Awutus) also inter married with the Akwamus and other tribes and so there are some historians that refer to the Akwamus as Guans. In 1693, the Asamani of Akwamu who is believed to be from the Asamani clan in the Obutu( Awutu)/ Guan tribe led a raid and seized Osu Castle from the Danish colonists. There is also the " Tutu" shrine in Bereku where it is believed that Manu Kotosii, the mother of Osei Tutu1 went to seek help from the Tutu shrine for a son whom was named Osei Tutu 1.

Dode Akaabi, wife of the Ga mantse, Mampon Okai also known as Dua Kwei and mother of Okaikwei ruled as the first female king of the Gas after the demise of Mampon Okai due to the fact that, the heir to the throne, Okaikwei was too young at the time of the demise of the King. Her rule was repugnant to the Ga customary law of succession which only allowed male rulers. She was the caretaker of the late king 's regalia and paraphernalia and doubled as his wife.

Dode Akaabi emerges as a formidable figure whose rise as the first female political leader of the Gold Coast opened a new vistas of power to her gender. She is generally believed to have introduced much display of jewellery and colourful attire into the chieftains institution.

Some even attribute the custom of sitting on stools to Dode Akaabi. Prior to her rule, stools were mainly taken into war and held aloft to lift the spirit of the troops; popularly regarded as having no authority from the deity. She demanded to sit on the war stool to visually symbolize her authority over her people.

She forbade men from using the expression, "bulu"(fool) in reference to their wives. And when they did, she ordered that a live lion or tiger be captured for her just to deter the men from disrespecting their wives.

She led the Guans which comprises the Obutus, Lartehs, Kyereponis, Krachis, Guans, etc to secure so many lands which included Ayawaso, Nsakina, Ablekuma, Amasaman, etc and even helped the Akwamus in so many wars. She had her personal war stools which present day are in Bereku and Larteh which she took to wars and trained most of the Akwamu warriors including Nana Yaa Asantewaa, a renowned Ashanti warrior.

It's a pity that this HEROINE who is revered amongst her people have been left untouched. I only seek to tell the forgotten story.

Credit
Archives of the history of the Obutus
History of the Gas
Mijaku.com
gadangmenikasemoasafo.WordPress
Https://muse.jhu/edu
©Mercy Asamani
Mercedes