How the Dormaa people migrated from Ashanti to their present settlement - Anokye Frimpong explains

Legal Practitioner and historian, Yaw Anokye Frimpong, has shared insight into how the present day Dormaa kingdom was formed.

According to him, the people of present day Bono (Dormaa) in the Bono Region were once living together with the Asante people until a conflict broke out among them, forcing them to separate.

The insight by the historian, came after the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, stated that it was his uncle who lifted the Dormaa Stool to a paramountcy.

The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, who disagreed, responded to the claims made by the Asantehene, stating that it was not the Asantehene’s uncle who elevated the Dormaa stool to a paramountcy, but rather, the stool existed long before the Ashanti Stool.

The historian, Yaw Anokye Frimpong, in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Ishmael Batoma, indicated that the claims by the Dormaahene would be hard to believe and accepted.

“If anybody says that the Dormaa Stool existed long before the Ashanti Stool, I believe that it is not easy to accept it,” he stated.

The historian recounted the historical context, explaining how the Ashantis and Dormaa people once coexisted at Suntresu near Kumasi.

“The Ashantis were living together with the Dormaa people. They were living at a place called Suntresu, around Kumasi, while the Ashanti people were also living about 20 miles away within the Bekwai area. The Ashantis later moved upwards to the area where the Dormaas were staying. The Dormaas were staying with the Kwabre people, the Tafo and the Amakom people. They sought permission from the Tafohene called Kwasi Dompo and they came to stay there.

“Within a short time, they started spreading out. So, definitely, war will break out and it was during the time of Obiri Yeboah, the 4th Asantehene, that this war broke out and the Dormaa people defeated the Ashantis. At that time, the Asantehene’s nephew, Osei Tutu, had left Denkyira, where he was a sword bearer, and escaped to Akwamu. Upon the death of his uncle, he was informed that he had been chosen as the next ruler of Asante, so he should quickly return.

“When he [reference to Osei Tutu] was coming, he had about 700 soldiers given to him by Ansah Sasraku, the Akwamuhene, and then with the wisdom of Okomfo Anokye., we are told that because the Akwamus were directly trading with the Accra people, they acquired weapons and that gave them an urge over whoever they were going to meet in their enclave. They got there and as soon as he had been placed on the stool, he decided to take vengeance on the Dormaa people. He hooted at them completely and killed their chief called Kusi. So, these people left and went far away to the present day Ivory Coast and settled at a place called Awusu," he explained.

The Dormaa people, according to Anokye Frimpong, led by their chief, Kusi, after fleeing the war, went to Awusu in present-day Ivory Coast.

Over there, he added, they were asked to return to their original place because the Dormaa people originally caused the war between them and the Ashantis.

However, Dormaa people, opting not to return, were given a place to settle called Gyaman. Some chose to stay back, founding towns like Odumase and Berekum, among the Ashanti people.

“Over there, the chiefs asked them, why have you left your land to come, and they explained that war had made them cross over to that place. They told them [Dormaa people], if you have killed their chief and the Ashantis too have killed yours, then you don't have any problem, you should go back. But they decided not to go back and they were given a place to settle called Gyaman, that is people who have deserted their land and come here. So, that was where they settled - Gyaman.

“Few of them decided not to join their brothers at the new area and they stayed at where we have Dormaa today. The others too who decided to stay back among the Ashanti people, they founded towns like Odumase, and Berekum. The Asantehene Osei Tutu gave them an overlord called Kyereme Sikafour,” he added.

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