Agogo is a town in the Asante Akim North District. It is the administrative capital of Asante Akyem North Municipal.
Agogo is approximately 80 kilometers east of Kumasi located at 6.80004 (latitude in decimal degrees), -1.08193 (longitude in decimal degrees) at an elevation/altitude of 396 meters.
The average elevation of Agogo in Asante Akim North Municipal is 396 meters.
Agogo celebrates the Akogya Siakwan Festival, which is a festival of peace, thanksgiving, love and harmony among the communities.
The people of Agogo have a strong sense of identity and associate the festival with their faith in Akogya, the river that guards the town.
The town is noted for its uniquely hilly landscape, earning it the name “Naturally Walled Town.”
Agogo also boasts of waterfalls at Hwidiem and Onyemso.
The Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, established 21 March 1931, is the oldest mission hospital in Ashanti and Ghana (Founded by the Basel Mission from Switzerland).
Its Ophthalmology program serves patients from Ashanti, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo.
The Agogohene owes allegiance to the Golden Stool and swears to the Asantehene with the legendary Mponponsuo sword.
The Agogohene prior to his elevation to paramount status was forbidden by tradition to call at the king’s palace without passing through one of the Abrempon chiefs resident in Kumasi.
The Agogohene was elevated to the status of a Paramount chief or Omanhene by the CPP led Kwame Nkrumah Government on the 19th August, 1960.
The Agogo stool is of matrilineal descent and has an Abusua, or classificatory system as Aduana and Its a hereditary stool.
The Agogo people, according to their royal oral tradition assert, they migrated from Nyanoase, a town near Nsawam in the Eastern region of present day Ghana.
It is said that Nana Ofori Krobon was a sub chief of the Akwamuhene, Ansah Sasaraku.
During the reign of this powerful ruler, Ansah Sasaraku, a war broke out between the Akwamus and the people of Accra.
The Accra chief at that time was Nii Okai Kwei I.
The people of Accra are said to have won victory over the Akwamus resulting in a state of unrest amongst the neighbouring towns and villages (Akwamu vassals).
So Ofori Krobon, a sub chief of Akwamuhene, left the area of Akwamu and settled at a place called Osateneso in the Afram plans with a very large retinue.
It is said that on their arrival these plains were entirely uninhabited.
Whilst at the village of Osateneso, Ofori Krobon heard of Atara Firam, a no-nonsense chief of Dwan (Guan), who was said to be a very powerful ruler and was supposed to be the overlord of the present area of Agogo and other adjacent areas, right up to the present northern region of Ghana.
It so happened that a war ensued between Ofori Krobon and Atara Firam as a result of a dispute between the subjects of Ofori Krobon and a subject of Atara Firam.
This quarrel, which led to a great war, was due to the fact that a servant of Nana Ofori Krobon during a hunting expedition at Agogo had an encounter with a servant of Nana Atara Firam, who reported this trespass to Atara Firam who at that time claimed to be the overlord of all the land that stretches to the north.
Nana Atara Firam ordered the arrest of this servant of chief Ofori Krobon and further summoned him to appear before him in Council.
Nana Ofori Krobon, considering the situation to be one of serious consequences, refused to allow his subject to respond to Atara Firam’s summons, War therefore broke out.
Nana Ofori Krobon sought for reinforcements from his brothers, namely Kumawuhene Effa Kai and Kwamanhene Ntori Nimpa of the Aduana clan who were originally from Esumegya (Subin Agya).
It will be recalled that Nana Ofori Krobon had departed with his brothers at Asantemanso where he had taken refuge at Nyanoase, as a result of a dispute that arose amongst the Aduana people.
Nana Atara Finam and his subjects took to their heels and fled across the river Volta after suffering a heavy defeat.
After the defeat of Atara Firam Nana Ofori Krobon became the overlord of the present Agogo area.
There was also a distribution of lands and war booty shared amongst these Aduana chiefs, namely Agogohene, Kumawuhene, and Kwamanhene.
It will be recalled that the battlefield of this war was at Gyamborafa, an area at present day Atebubu where Atara Firam is said to have been defeated.
The area in question was a Savannah land near Krachi.
Prior to the defeat of Atara Firam by the Aduana chiefs, the present area was known as Agogowa, named after a river called Agogowa which flows in the middle of the present town of Agogo.
It is said that after the defeat of Atara Firam Nana Ofori Kobon and his people wished to find a suitable place for permanent residence, since they were still exploring the Afram plains.
During the course of their migration they came across a river called Agogowa, and thought to themselves that the banks of this river would be a suitable place for settlement.
So they settled there and thus brought about the name of Agogo, meaning the side of the river Agogowa which is suitable for residence.
Another investigation into this narrative by historian Kwadwo Amoako, revealed that the people upon reaching there said: “Wei dier ya Gogo” before resting at the banks of the river.
Their present predicament of tiredness helped to cement the name of the river (which was named by them).
Indeed! They were tired and were saved by the river which quenched their thirst.
It is said that at the time of their migration from the Afram plains to Agogo, Nana Obiri Yeboah of Kwaman, (Present day Kumasi) was still the reigning overseer of the Agogo people.
And that Nana Ofori Kobon was an independent chief who had no relationship between Kumasi and Agogo.
The Agogohene, it is said, was no subordinate chief to the Kumasi people.
So the Agogo people did not, of course, take part in the war between Nana Obiri Yeboah and the Dormaas which took place at Suntresu in Kumasi.
It is said that during the reign of Osei Tutu almost all the tributary states decided to join together to crush the Denkyirahene who menaced the community.
During the Denkyira war with Ntim Gyakari Nana Ofori Kobon had been succeeded on the stool by Okan, his brother.
The Agogohene, it is said, took part in the Denkyira war in which Ntim Gyakari was defeated at Feyiase.
Some of the war captives were sent to Agogo and served the Agogohene as his Daabifoɔ (servants responsible for the dressing and servicing of Agogohene’ s bed).
It is said that after the war with Ntim Gyakari, the Denkyirahene, the Alliance between Kumasi and Agogo continued and the occupant of the Agogo stool from that time paid homage to the occupant of the Golden Stool.
Okan was succeeded on the stool by Kwasi Tutu, his brother, in the reign of Asantehene Nana Opoku Ware I.
This chief, it is said, went to the Takyiman war along with other chiefs, when Ameyaw, the Takyiman chief, was defeated and beheaded by the Asantes.
Nana Kwasi Tutu was succeeded on the stool by Nana Kyei Panin in the reign of Asantehene Kusi Bodom.
Kyei Panin was a nephew of Kwasi Tutu.
Kyei Panin was succeeded on the stool by Nana Toku during the reign of Asantehene Osei Kwadwo, the great fighting king who fought in the broad daylight.
Nana Toku was suceeded on the stool by Akumanin Awere, a brother of Nana Toku.
Nana Akumanin Awere was succeeded on the stool by Nana Darkwa, his brother, in the reign of Asantehene Osei Yaw Akoto.
The Agogohene, Nana Darkwa, was said to have taken part in the battle in the Akatamansu war.
Nana Darkwa was succeeded on the stool by Nana Ntekurah. He was a nephew of Darkwa.
Nana Ntekurah was succeeded on the stool by Amoako Panin, his brother.
Amoako Panin was succeeded on the stool by Tudu, a nephew of Amoako Panin.
Tudu was succeeded on the stool by Amoako II. He was destooled for mal-administration in the reign of Nana Agyeman, alias Nana Kwaku Duah I.
Nana Amoako II was a brother of Nana Tudu. Nana Amoako II was succeeded by Asamoah Yaw, his brother, in the reign of Asantehene Nana Mensah Bonsu.
He was destooled for maladministration.
Asamoah Yaw was succeeded by Kofi Amponsa in the first part of the reign of King Prempeh I before his exile to the Seychelles Island.
He was destooled for maladministration.
Kofi Amponsa was succeeded on the stool by Kwaku Kyei, his brother, during the Yaa Asantewaa war of 1900.
He died on the battlefield.
Kofi Amponsa was then reinstated whilst King Prempeh I was in exile.
He was once again destooled.
Kofi Amponsa was succeeded by Kofi Ackah.
He spent forty days on the stool and was destooled for maladministration. He was destooled whilst Asantehene Nana Prempeh I was still in exile. Kofi Ackah was succeeded by Kwadwo Agyekum, a nephew of Kofi Ackah, whilst King Prempeh I was still in exile.
He was destooled for maladministration. Kwadwo Agyekum was succeeded by Kwabena Asamoah, a brother of Kwadwo Agyekum, whilst King Prempeh was still in Seychelles Island.
He was destooled for maladministration. Kwabena Asamoah was succeeded by Kwasi Amoako when Asantehene Prempeh I had retired from the Seychelles.
He was destooled for maladministration. Kwadwo Agyekum was then reinstated, but he was once again destooled in the second part of the reign of King Prempeh I.
Kwadwo Agyekum was succeeded by Kyei Mensah, his nephew, in the reign of Asantehene Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, He was destooled.
Kyei Mensah was succeeded by Nana Kwaku Duah, his brother, during the reign of Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II.
Nana Akuoko Sarpong swore an oath of allegiance to the late Asantehene Otumfuo Opoku Ware II as Paramount chief of Agogo on 16th January, 1976 after the demise of his uncle Nana Kwaku Duah.
The first 5 chiefs to have occupied the Ofori Krobon Stool in Agogo are as follows:
1. Nana Ofori Krobon(1630-1670) during thr reign of Asantehene Nana Obiri Yeboah
2.Nana Kwabena Toku(1670-1710) during the reign of Asantehene Nana Nana Osei Tutu
3.Nana Kwaku Tuuda(1710-1730) during the reign of Asantehene Nana Osei Tutu
4.Nana Anim Aboagye(1730—–) during the reign of Asantehene Nana Osei Tutu.
5.Nana Okumanin Awere(1730-1735) during the reign of Asantehene Nana Opoku Ware I
Credits: Kofi Frimpong ( The Kingdom Of Asante)
Reference
Agyemang Duah J. & Ivor W. (1976). Ashanti Stool Histories. (Vol 1). Institute of African Studies; University of Ghana.
Henry Kwadwo Amoako (sociologist and historian for www.african-research.com)
