The ancestors of the Bompata people were the Amantena people who deserted their hometown during the civil war between Juaben and Kumase in November, 1875.
The remote cause was that the then chief of Amantena had many years ago, refused to allow an Amantena woman to attend the funeral of King Opoku Ware I (1731 – 1742)
When the ruling Asantehene sent his messenger Osafee to arrest the recalcitrant Chief, some Amantena rebels ambushed and killed the messenger!
A direct defiance of the King’s authority.
This resulted in mistrust.
Their fear of an imminent attack during the Kumase – Juaben conflict, was therefore, genuine. Because they believed it was an opportunity for the Asantehene to punish them for their defiance.
The Amantena people then quickly fled to Oda to seek refuge under the Akyem Kotokuhene.
When they reached Obogu, they were driven back by the Oboguhene Nana Aniapah. Because he feared the enemy hunting them will come after him too!
However, undaunted in their line of action, they retreated till they eventually halted at Asankare where the chief of the town, Nana Ofosu, directed them to stay with his wife, Kwatemaa Fofie, who likewise hailed from Amantena, and had settled near Asankare on a large area of palm-trees.
This area which forms part of the stool lands of Aninsua and Bompata was presented by the Akyem Kototuhene Nana Frempon Manso to his children, Akomentan and Anopim.
These were children he had with a woman, Ofosua, from Kotoku Adukow near Juansa.
A survey of the area during the arrival of the Amantena refugees revealed the presence of Addo Kwaata, the direct nephew of Anopim and Akokmentan.
He had erected a hut (Wabo pata) on the land (a sign of enlightenment on the land).
This is the origin and meaning of the name BOMPATA.
They had arrived on a fertile land suitable for settlement, so they decided to stay on at Addo Kwaata’s village as squatters till such time that peace was restored between Kumase and Juaben.
They felt comfortable in that peaceful environment and expanded their settlements there.
The Zongo people at Bompata
A lot of Zongo people first settled in Bompata and a lot more others were born and partly raised there.
The present day Rex Cinema location was then the BOMPATA market with mostly Zongo buyers and sellers.
City Development and infrastructural expansions necessitated the resettlement of Bompata residents to a new location in the city.
This was during the reign of Governor Sir Gordon Guggisberg.
The New Zongo settlement has just been built and completed for the use of Railway workers but due to the resettlement of Bompata residents, the colonial Authorities reconsidered the decision and handed them to the displaced residents.
The earlier directive of the City authority was for every landlord in BOMPATA to own a house in New Zongo and pay an additional £60.
It is believed that, it was with the connivance of some influential Zongo persons at the time that led to the abortion of this arrangement and rather the decision to compensate them and rent out the houses to the people.
The reason the inhabitants of New Zongo till date continue to pay monthly bills on the houses.
Some of the landlords decided to use the compensation to build elsewhere instead of renting at New Zongo. This gave birth to the new Suburb Kantudu.
The relocation from BOMPATA to New Zongo took place in March 1926.
Origin of Some Asante Akyem Towns
Akan states history can be divided into three periods: 1700–1730, 1730–1750, and 1750–1800.
In the early 18th century, Akwamu, Akyem Abuakwa, and Denkyira expanded their territories through conquests, with Akwamu, under King Akonno, attempting to dominate the east.
Akonno’s operations included suppressing resistance in Ladoku, and crossing the Volta to take over Anlo, Peki, Ho, Kpando, and later, Kwahu.
During the same period, the Akyem states reached their peak, defeating the Asante in 1702 and 1717.
In 1730, the Akyem and Akwamu states were defeated by Asante, leading to the rise of Asante as the dominant Akan state.
Osei Tutu and Anokye established Asanteman, merging nearby states, creating a new constitution, and capital (Kumasi), and protecting the state’s soul, the golden stool.
Opoku Ware succeeded Osei Tutu.(who was assassinated in 1717 on the pra tiver), expanding Asante’s influence by conquering Akyem, Wassa, Aowin, Denkyira, Bono, Gonja, Gyaaman, Banda, and eastern Gonja and Dagomba by 1744, in a fierce response to the death of Nana Osei Tutu.
The Akan civilization flourished with cultural and artistic contributions.
In the late 18th century, conflicts arose between Asante and vassal states seeking independence, with Fante maintaining sovereignty through diplomatic alliances, notably with the British.
Despite some revolts, Asante retained control over most Akan states by the end of the century, except for Fante, which remained independent until the early 19th century.
When Otumfuo Osei Tutu was killed by the Akyem Kotoku (Oda), when crossing river Pra; He was succeeded by his grand nephew, Opoku Ware I .Nana Opoku Ware fought the Akyem Kotoku ( Oda) and defeated them ,took most of their lands and added them to the Asante Nation. Opoku Ware declared, ” from today going, you are no longer Akyem people but Asante – Akyem people “and that short paraphrase constituted the Asante-Akyem province being part of Asante kingdom today.
Asante Akyem
Asante Akyem according to colonial history was demarcated by Major Fuller, who later became a Governor in 1905.
The area, as the name suggests, is inhabited by emigrants from both the Asante and Akyem stocks of the Akan.
There are three major accounts, of the history of the people of Asante Akyem, the Juaso Bankaman Traditional History, that of Konongo Royal Family and the Odumasi Stool History.
The Konongo Royal Family account of the people of the area explains the name Asante Akyem in terms of territory rather than any blood relations.
According to this version, the people of Asante Akyem, and more specifically Konongo, are basically of the Akyem stock.
It is said that the people in 1731 assisted the Asantes in their war with the Akyem Kotoku (Odas).
After the defeat of the latter, the Odas vented their spleen on them and the people fled persecution by their fellow Akyems, seeking refuge in Asante’s territory.
Thus it is said that the people of Konongo fled from Abodom near Akyem Oda(in the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area).
This explains why up to the present day the ancestral blackened stool of Konongo is still at Abodom.
When the people from Abodom after fleeing to Ashanti petitioned the Asantehene for land, the Juabenhene who had jurisdiction over the land was consulted and he apportioned the present land to the emigrants from Abodom.
This also explains why the people of Konongo are still under the traditional authority of Juaben in Ashanti.
Duodu Pepera of Asawuo
The Odumasi Royal version of the settlement of the people states that the ancestor of the Odumasi stool, by name, Mumunanor Ampam, migrated from Akyem Abuakwa in southern Ghana, from a village called Asawuo as a result of a dispute that arose between Duodu Pepera, a royal of Asawuo stool, and Abobomsohene during the celebration of Odwira festival.
This Abobomsohene, it is said, attended the festival at the invitation of Nana Mumunanor as customary demand. It happened that in the course of the celebration, Duodu Pepera, a nephew of Nana Mumunanor Ampam, became infuriated because Abobomsohene, the guest, was wearing certain gold trinklets called “asedwabia”.
It is said that Duodu Pepera, presumably the probable heir to the throne of Asawuo, tried to strangle this chief with the view to removing the trinklets from the neck of Abobomsohene.
The issue was reported to the overlord, Okyenhene Ofori Panin, who sent for Duodu Pepera to appear before the Okyeman Council (or Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council).
At the hearing, Duodu Pepera was said to have become very angry and insulted members of the Council.
As a result of the indecent words spoken by Duodu Pepera to the King in Council, a meeting of the three heads of the state, the Amantuo Mmiensa of Kyebi, decided that the only want to deal with him was to wage war against him and his relatives.
Duodu was killed in the war and the matter was reported to Nana Mumunanor Ampam, his uncle.
Nana Mumunanor Ampam who was afraid of reprisals by the Okyenhene left Asawuo with all his descendants and subjects together with one of the ancestral stools.
At that time a sister of Nana Mumunanor Ampam, by name Akua Koah, was married to Juasohene Nana Kwame Apenteng.
Nana Mumunanor Ampam went to his brother-in-law appealing for a suitable place to settle.
The Juasohene (Nana Kwame Apenteng) allocated to Nana Mumunanor Ampam and his retinue a village called Anwanwereso near Juaso.
While a resident at Anwanwereso, Nana Mumunanor Ampam made an appeal to Juabenhene, Nana Akraase, through his brother-in-law Nana Kwame Apenteng, for a permanent place of residence for himself and his descendants.
It is said, Nana Juabenhene gave him a vast land of which Nana Mumunanor Ampam was to be the caretaker, ranging from the River Anuru up to the boundary line of Dwaboso ( now Juaso).
It is said that one morning, a certain hunter, Amama Mahunu, discovered during a hunting expedition the present area of Odumasi and reported it to Nana Ampam, the caretaker of the area.
After investigations, it was found that the banks of the river called Oweri would be suitable for settlement.
It is said that there was an Odum tree growing at that spot, so Nana Mumunanor Ampam built his village just by the Odum tree, and thus called his village Odumasi.
It should be recalled that at the time of the negotiations for the Odumasi village lands, Nana Akraase was on the Juaben stool, while the Golden Stool of Ashanti was occupied by Nana Osei Bonsu Panyin, alias Nana Osei Tutu Kwame.
Nana Mumunanor Ampam, was still on the Odumasi stool during the reign of Asantehene Nana Osei Akoto, who fought in the Akatamansu war.
So the migration of Nana Mumunanor Ampam to Konongo-Odumasi must have taken place around the date of the Akatamansu war (1824-1837).
