Awule Kaku Aka’s kingship peaked in the 1840s when he decided to unite Nzema people.
To do this he needed to free some Nzema tribes from the oppression of the Anyi.
So he set out to fight him and succeeded in beheading him!
He put out more strategies to annex some Anyin land in the Gold Coast; for the greater part of the Anyin land fell under the French colony.
Awulae Kaku Aka’s regime troubled the George MacLean leadership.
In 1843 George MacLean’s leadership was outlawed by the British government.
New governor was posted. Commander Hill assumed the leadership.
He was briefed by George MacLean to be extra careful about the king of Nzema.
The new commander strictly acted on the recommendation.
In 1844, cunningly, Commander Hill informed all nine coastal kingdoms to sign the Bond of 1844.
What was this Bond About?
Military confrontations between Ashanti and the Fante contributed to the growth of British influence on the Gold Coast, as the Fante states—concerned about Ashanti activities on the coast—signed the Bond of 1844 at Fomena-Adansi, that allowed the British to usurp judicial authority from African courts!
However ONLY eight fante chiefs who came from Assin, Denkyira, Abora, Anumabu and Cape Coast signed the Bond!
Kaku Aka alone stood firm by his principle not to allow foreign imperialism to dictate to him.
He refused to sign the Bond.
This is the typical display of an Akan king.
Remember Prempeh I in 1895 refused to succumb to the British offer which led to his arrest with entire family to Seychelles.
The rest of the eight (8) Coastal States betrayed him, despite his warning to them not to sign, particularly the Denkyira and Anomabo kings.
Eight Fante chiefs signed the infamous Bond of 1844. (Assin, Denkyira, Abora, Anumabu and Cape Coast.
Later eleven other chiefs signed the treaty who were the chiefs of Dixcove, Wassa, Fiase, Gomoa and James Town, Accra).
African Kings had innocently and ignorantly entrapped themselves into the gloomy rule of the Europeans.
British Nzema land stood alone as the enemy against the British.
A plan was hatched to silence the ‘stubborn’ king.
Lies were told that he was _“engaging in slave trade against his people”_ due to his bold refusal to sign the Bond of 1844.
Kaku Aka was unperturbed.
He stood firm.
He strengthened and intensified his system of government.
Military defense was arranged.
But he encountered a problem within.
Some of his people were Saboteurs!
Commander Hill strategically filled the Benyin Fort with troops.
Remember, a history is told that during the 17th century, King Amakyi with the help of Komenle Anor Ekyi (corrupted to Komfo Anokye by the Denkyira people) fought against the Dutch who were inhumanely engaging themselves in slave trade by using the Benyin Fort.
These Dutch were defeated and abandoned the Fort.
This Fort was refilled with grenades to threaten the leadership of Kaku Aka.
Yet! this brave king was not perturbed by these militias.
Kaku transferred the the capital town to Adoa_Ne_Bo (Atoabo) to avoid any conflict and interference from the British troop.
All the kingship regalia were transferred to Atoabo with the support of his council of elders and his subjects.
Probably, Commander Hill was informed by the Province Commissioner via the district Resident Commissioner.
Amazingly, the seeds of espionage were planted within Kaku’s reign at Atoabo.
His activities were daily reported by his archenemies.
The Europeans who arrived in the Gold Coast were fond of using this “whistleblowing method” in those days to expose their enemies as was done to King Badu Bonsu II, King of Ahanta in 1838 who was executed by the Dutch, who, at the time, were in control of the Dutch Gold Coast.
They used his own people to betray him!
King Kaku didn’t know.
Until Ebanyele, who was the spy planted by the British, intentionally violated the traditional order.
He was requested to appear before the king as custom demanded to answer or face the accorded justice.
Kaku Aka loved to engage with the accused person through diplomatic dialogue to ascertain his fact before any judicial action taken.
He was not as cruel as purported.
Since Ebanyele knew he was guilty, he ran as a fugitive from Benyin to the west of Atoabo to report the lies about his king being so cruel.
The order of arrest of Kaku Aka was hinted to the king by his beloved.
Oh where were his faithfuls?
They were Silenced!
He fled to North of Nzema to hide.
According to oral tradition, these same local enemies perpetuated lies to dent his image in his absence.
Falsehood was quickly spread about him that he was a cruel king.
That he had no love for his people, he was not human being, but born of a god transformed into human form due to the fact that he was hairy all over.
That he was not democratic in his rule.
A whole lot of lies were said about him through the British propaganda machinery.
Nothing good was said about him.
His enemies succeeded.
The kingdom was shared among themselves while in the exile at Cape Coast.
Nzema could not stand as one again as one kingdom.
They were now fragmented!
Additionally, what is the status of Nzema today? Disintegrated!
Not having one big voice to defend.
He was arrested in 1845.
He poorly died in exile at the Cape Coast castle.
He died a poor man.
He was not honoured until Nkrumah had nearly performed his funeral rite.
Read Also: The Story of Awule Kaku Ackah I : King of Nzema 1840s (Extended Narrative)
He and Nkrumah came from the same tribe and the same clan, Nvavile clan. (A special quality of this clan is that they are eloquent)
In the 1960s, Nkrumah alone was the only person who could enter the Kaku Ackah’s shrine and return without any immediate ailment!
Great
But the name is spelled
Kaku Aka not Kaku Ackah
Thanks 🙏
Please work on Nzema names
surprised I can’t find them online
names and their meanings
Okay
I want to know much about our great king (King Kaku Aka 1).
Where he was born and who his parents are.
Good evening my dear Brother. Please how are you doing. I’m very excited. My bro God Bless You for this story that you have giving us. So that’s the true story of the first King of Nzemaland. Please what about the new King of Nzemaland?
Will work on it. Thanks for reading. Keep sharing the website so others can read too. Africans still have no idea of their past.
My family and I glad to be descendants of Kaku Ackah. We’ll take our stool back..
Alright
King Kaku Aka was the King of Beyinli to as Appollonia. Axim Belofu had their Kings Upper and lower. He was not King of Nzima he died at Cape Coast castle while waiting for exile tothe Seychelles . That was the when Nana Prempeh King of Ashanti was exiled.
Great. Thanks
Thanks for the addition.
From my family history King Kaku Ackah was a king of the Nzema Land.. His descendants extends all the was the ivory coast or Burkina Faso.
His descendants have spread all I’ve central and greater Accra. And I’m one of them