The fall of Asante Kingdom remotely depicted by self-centred generational greed in old and new Juaben

Readers may wonder why this headline, but the content of this write-up should help clarify and justify my caption. Akan traditions emphasizes togetherness amongst kinsmen as against individualism which may be practiced in Western cultures. That said, any selfish tendencies aimed at promoting individual interest and annexing communal is vehemently frowned upon. If this had been the norm, probably then it will not be out of place to suggest that Kumasi among the Oyoko clan and the head of Asanteman would not have survived in the centuries past and evolved to fit its state as seat of the Asantehene.

It is custom for any Odehyeɛ to live with his/her children, the children of other royals and even servants from within and without their royal family without any hint of differences amongst them. It is also interesting to know that in preparing one to be installed as king in a place like Juaben, the individual royal in question is warned not to oversee any act or thought which seeks to divide the people in the community, let alone members of the royal family.

In the recent past, a calculated attempt has been made to write off a very large majority of royals from the royal lineage by one group who have over the years cling firmly to the stools of both new and old Juaben. This has been exhibited in the rejection of people from the large majority who intended to ascend the thrones or ascended the thrones in both old and new Juaben.

For example in the year 1963 after his entoolment Nana Aboraa Boateng was rejected by Ohemaa Juaben Serwaa with the support of Dr Nkrumah’s government for a preferred blood son Nana Kwabena Boateng in Old Juaben. Again Nana Agyeman Akrasi who became Omanhene on 25th February 1952 in New Juaben had to had to battle with a section of the “only royals” and the key among them was the late Daasebre Nana Kwaku Boateng II (prior to his ascendency), both legal and physical, I mean physical with thugs on the chief.

The Great Oath of Asanteman in 1935 under His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Agyeman Prempeh II could not even resolve futuristic events from that time when Nana Adokwabo swore the Great Oath of Asantehene that his family are eligible to both the king and queenmother stools of Juaben and the native Court of Asantehene passed a court decision as such on 28th March 1935.

One question that is worth asking is whether the burial and funeral of late Omanhene and Omanhemaa and subsequent events can be organized without the leadership of Abusuapanin if there is if the Abusuapanin is alive and well? Any such act turns tradition upside down. If such incidents have occurred and indeed it occurred in no less a state than Juaben, a pillar in the foundation of Asanteman, in the Doteyie of the late Daasebre Oti Boateng and Nana Yaa Daani's burial (Doteyie).

For the information of the readers the Abusuapanin stool of Juaben royal family is a black stool resting in a family house other than the palace in old Juaben.

It came to pass that in less than fifty years ago, that is in the 1970s, a meeting was summoned for the royals of Juaben by Nana Otuo Siriboe II who was then the Omanhene and, his late mother Nana Akosua Akyamaa II was Queenmother and it was brought before the family members that the family had become very large and that in case of any event the side known as the Nana Duwaa Royal Family should organize theirs separately while the Omanhene and his side also do theirs separately.



Along the line emerged another Abusuapanin the late Nana Kwame Akrasi, an elder blood brother to Nana Otuo Siriboe II (who all descended from Nana Akua Boatemaa their great grandmother in both old and new Juaben), and superintended the affairs of his kinsmen. There was no vacancy for Abusuapanin as the events occurred. How should this be described among royals? Do royals in traditional positions do this? This can be described as unroyal since royals promote integration and not separation. This attitude can be described as abominable in Akan traditions and customs.

This will be the beginning of defeat should the Oman go for battle in the days of old and the king had divisive tendencies in his royal family. And it must be remembered that one key reasons from the outset for the defeat of the Great Asante Empire by the British towards the end of 19th century was a divided kingdom.

It must be stated that the newspaper publication of the obituary of the late Odehyeɛ Nana Abena Serwaa aka Nana Bonoku in Febuary 1977 had two Abusuapanins superintending the funeral of the late odehyeɛ in the persons of Nana Kwaku Abeberese and Nana Kwame Akrasi. It must be also noted that Nana Kwaku Abreberese was the Abusuapanin during the reign of the late Omanhene Nana Yaw Sarpon II of Old Juaben and superintended the enstoolment of Nana Otuo Siriboe II.

To crave for your indulgence Odehyeɛ Nana Abena Serwaa aka Nana Bonoku was the daughter of Nana Akyaa Kesse, Queemother of New Juaben (1955-1967). Her maiden name was Nana Afia Boatemaa aka Afia Nnum whose intention to become the Queenmother and rejection by Nana Yaw Sarpon II with the advice of some Juaben elders in late 1932 brought about the invocation of the Great Oath of Asantehehe in 1933 and final amicable decision in 1935.

It becoming common place in the history of Juaben that any sub-chief or divisional chief who tends to associate himself with the Duwaa Family is seen as an enemy to the Omanhene.

In the funeral brochure of the late Nana Kwame Akrasi the then assumed Abusuapanin for Nana Otuo Siriboe II and his kinsmen in the year 2005 it was stated in paragraph 4 of page 9 and I quote _"The Yiadom-Hwedie Royal Family of which Nana Akrasi is the Abusuapanin, exemplifies a closely-knit royal family whose members are all descendants of one ancesstress, Nana Akua Boatemaa, alias Nana Akua Mansa of Juaben". This statement was diagramatically represented on page 11 of the same brochure. (Relevant pages attached/uploaded)

Page 10 of Tuesday January 18th 2005 edition of the Daily Graphic had similar statement under the write up about the late Nana Kwame Akrasi, the Abusuapanin of the Yiadom-Hwedie Royal Family of Juaben.

It must be stated that in the second Asante - Juaben civil war in 1875 Nana Akua Boatemaa whom Nana Otuo Siriboe II and his kinsmen trace their lineage to, was still in her fertility age and by extension one would not be far from right to say that Nana Akua Boatemaa was born around the middle of the 1800s. This was so because this great grandmother was captured in the war in Kumasi and got married and gave birth in addition to the children she had before the Civil War.

Thus, for any well-meaning follower of tradition and student of history to say that a whole Juaben royal family trace their lineage to a woman born in mid 1800s raises a concern. This gives room for so many questions.

This position can again be described as unroyal since the proponents of this position the descendants of Nana Akua Boatemaa are not loyal to the stools they occupy. This position has been a propaganda tool perpetuated for ages and it is unhealthy in the wake of events including but not limited to chieftaincy disputes in New Dwaben, pending before Eastern Regional House of Chiefs. In the last decade some land disputes have been brought against Nana Otuo Siriboe II by Obaapanin Nana Ama Serwaa before HRM Otumfuo Osei Tutu II over the royal privileges and land disputes at Duwaakrom

I will conclude by saying that in the olden days certain behavior and attitude of the sort to create division within royals or community without a just cause could be described as enough grounds for destoolment of a chief. This is because the state would not get the united royals to lead the community to any battle and hence the beginning of their defeat.

There is a saying in Twi that goes like this: odehyeɛ anko a akoa dwane. To wit is the servant will not fight if the royal refuses to fight. I will again paraphrase a saying I heard from our elders and that is if you are looking for Kumasi and you cannot find her, go to Juaben.