History

Soon after Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwah 111 founded his feet as Okuapehene, he saw to it that certain customary practices which were existing at the time should either be reviewed or completely abolished to conform with the era of progress and enlightenment Since he believed that charity begins at home, he decided to enforce the decisions to ban these practices and taboos at Akropong in the first instance before it spread to Akuapem as a whole.

Akropong had abolished these practices since 1973, a year before he came to the scene, but it Looked as if their implemnetations were not as foolproof as needed. It was 12th December, 1973 that the Okoman Council of Akropong met at the Ahenfi and took decisions that these customary practices and laws had outlived their usefulness and had become outmoded,obsolete and either outlayed or covered with fetish trapping and superstitions beliefs.

The council believed that not only were these practices crude and undesirable but also their continued prevalence and observance within the society were wicked and detrimental to the present and future generations and must be abolished forthwith.
Oseadeeyo approved these decisions. So, in 1990, in consultation with his administration, the decisions were revived for enforcement.
They are :

KUNAYE{ WIDOWHOOD RITES}
The practice which allows the family of a deceased husband to impose certain painful and wicked punishments on the bereaved wife, and vice-versa, is a very inhuman and wicked custom which,not only infringes the international law of human rights, but also tantamount to cruelty.
The decision is that a widow or a widower should be treated with compassion and decorum as anyother relative and no such customs is necessary at this time and age. All what she or he should be
entitled to suffer is absolute sympathy and the payment of ́Abusuatow ́ which every relative is made to pay.

ADURUGYE:
The custom connotes fetishism in character and in content and must be abolished. With the abolishing of ́Kunaye ́ goes with the abolishing of the so- ́Adurugye ́. If there is no unaye ‘the Ḱ question of Ádurugye ́ does not arise. In all its forms ́Adurugye ́ as its name implies as pagan and has no place in enlightened society, irrespective of houses, and it is abolished.

ATOFOYI: The custom which does not permit the body of a woman who dies at child birth to be brought into the town or the body of a person who dies in an accident suffers the same fate is also abolished.
Such ill fated bodies can now be brought home for what funeral arrangements a family intends to follow. The practice of ATOFOYI is hereby abolished.

NNA- KYIRI
Funeral celebration of all kinds should now not exceed the period of three weeks. The final obsequies and thanksgiving services should all be observed within a three week period, irrespective of class.

FUNNYATU:
FUNNYATU whereby a sheep is slaughtered on the ground after a funeral and a handful of salt is put into the blood after the appointment of a successor to the deceased, purporting to be a purification rite, is abolished. It is an unhealthy custom. Furthermore, the practice whereby some of
the blood used is poured into a bowl and sprinkled on everyone present at the funeral, as a sign of purification is also unhealthy and, therefore, discarded.

EXTERMINATION OF A CHILD;
The custom whereby the child of the mother dies during child-birth is exterminated is inhuman, wicked and an abominable act and therefore abolished.

CIRCUMCISION:
In the olden days circumcision was considered to be an evil omen and a taboo for all Akan stools in Ghana. Anyone who, therefore,was circumcised was not, by custom allowed to be installed in Akan chief. As time goes on and the veil is lifted, it has now become clear for the custom regarding circumcision to be assimilated with other tribes in Ghana. Circumcision, as a bar to enstoolment is therefore found not to be progressive and is discarded to suit the present era.

EXPELLING A DESTOOLED CHIEF INTO EXILE:
The custom whereby a destooled chief, especially a paramount chief, is expelled into exile, while all
other chiefs are left to stay in their towns is abolished. Any chief so destooled should be allowed to
live in the same tranquil atmosphere in the town as a private citizen.

RESTRICTION ON FARMING ON FRIDAYS:
The practice whereby it is considered an evil omen to fetch water in some rivers on Fridays, like the Nyadabi, is discarded. Restrictions on farming on Fridays and Mondays in some parts in the town are revoked

The common enemy (The Akwamus) having been driven away, and besides the fear that they might return, became the need to institute an internal security system to face any future eventuality.

The Akim warlords thus arranged a meeting among the Guans and the Kyereponds at Abotakyi. The purpose was to organise the territory into an order known as Twi millitaryOrder. This consideration influenced the need of allocating offices and creating of new stools. Five divisions were created to rule the state under King Safori, with the later as Okuapehene.

The five divisions are: Adonten number 1, belonging to Nana Offei Kwasi Agyeman for his role as warrior during the war. Adonten number 2 went to the remnants of Akwamufor occupying the central position of the ridge. The Gyase position went to Nana Akompi Kwatia of Amanokrom for he being the brother of Okyenhene, and also custodian of Okuapehene palace regalia and paraphenalia.

The Nifa position was given to the five Kyerepong towns with its headquarters at Awukugua for his role of negotiating the meeting. The Benkum division was given to the Guans at Larteh. At the first traditional council meeting the Gyakiti warlord was crowned as the senior divisional chief and next commander-in-chief whenever the Okuapeheneis away. In 1934, the then Okuapehene Nana Ofori Kuma decided that the Adontenhene

Number1 title re- designated to Krontihene, a title which did not change his position and status in the heirachy of Akuapem, even though Nana Yaw Boafo the then Krontiheneabdicated in protest over the change. The Krontihene remained as the second-in-command to the Okuapehene. He owns Akropong, as such he is the Akroponghene. The Krontihene in concert and collaboration with the Okoman elders and the Ankobeafo administers the affairs of Akropong. In doing this the Okuapehene is consulted for his inputs. The common saying is Offei Kwasi Agyeman and his Koman.

Prior to the founding of Akuapem State, the institution of chieftancy as we know of today was non-existent. The leadership of highland community made up mainly of GUANS and the KYEREPONGS consisted of Priest and Priestesses.

Nana Ofei Kwasi Agyeman of the Aduana fame,a trader from Gyakiti, and a chief in his own right,had already left Akwamu with his people to live at a village called Adenya. Surrounded by his band of Mpoti Asafo with their proverbial seven guns. He later settled at Boampong( Kaabi) the Northern part of present day Akropong.

When the Akwamus brutalities on the Guans and the Kyerepongs had gone beyond control and intolerable the leadership had these settlers summond a meeting to chart and discuss a way out of their predicaments. Nana Offei Kwasi

Agyeman who was at the meeting, recommended to the Guans and the Kyerepongs to extend an invitation to the Akims warlords(known for their proficiency in warfare) for assistance to fight the Akwamus. His suggestion was accepted.

The delegation to Akim was led by Opanyin Ayeh Kissi, an elder of Nana Offei Kwasi Agyeman.

The Okyenhene and elders readily agreed to help. He therefore dispatched his warrious led by his nephew Safori to join the bandwagon of the Guans and the Kyerepongs. A thousand forces (Akuw apem) thus swooped down the hill unto the hopeless Akwamus regiment at Nsakye as they advance. Unable to withstand the shock of this highland change, the Akwamu forces broke, scattered and fled across the Volta river to the present day Akwamufie.

This was the famous battle of Nsakye (1730) after which the Akwamu’s unspeakable acts of cruelty and depredation on the highland community came to an end. The remnants of Akwamu, the people of present Aburi and its envious readily submit themselves to the new power,and thus pave the way for the establishment of Akuapem State as enshrined in the famous Abotakyi Accord in 1733.

Okuaepmman Fekuw of Holland, which is non-religion-political in nature, was originally formed in 10th of March 1990, with aims of bringing brothers and sisters living in the Netherlands together.
Membership is open to all Akuapems, and our sister states Akwamu,Anum ,Boso. and Non Akuapems who have special interest for Okuapemman are also eligible to join.
The Association, which started with few members namely Emmanuel Manukure Saforo, Addo Aikins Comfort Asabea; Odehye Adjei, Elisabeth Koranteng, Late Opanyin Kwame Yirenkyi, Esther Golinghtly and Opanyin Kwasi Okraku.
The aim and objectives were also to inculcate our cultural beliefs, practices and values into our, children. We are mindful that culture is not static, it is dynamic, so we are seeking to blend our culture with western culture to make Akuapem culture attractive to our children.
It is also aimed at Provision of welfare to our members, in terms of sick, birth and death.
In the early stages we had some teething period,some of them were financial, difference in opinions regarding to strategic direction of the society and other logistical problems.

Notwithstanding we have chalked some success. Promoting unity and cohesion within Akuapem state and continuous existence and growing numbers is a great achievement, and opening of Okuapemman branches known as chapters all over Europe and North America. Its our hope this year June 2020 we will celebrate our 30th anniversary. We donated hospital beds in all the five divisional clinics of Akuapem, as well as wheel chairs to Tetteh Quanshie Memorial hospital.

Our short-term goal is to be organizing Odwira festival every year; medium to long-term goal as to sell the idea of Okuapemman model as a template to all Akuapems especially those living in the diaspora we can put aside our personal and group interest in the collective interest of Akuapem. Okuapemman in one state and will ever remain indivisible state.