The ascension of Nana Afia Kobi of the Oyoko clan to the highest female throne in the Asante Kingdom on 8th December, 1977 ensured a continuous preservation of the time honoured cultural values and customary practices of Asanteman.
Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, was born in 1905 in Kumasi to Nana Yaa Birago (Nana Yaa Bakani), the daughter of Nana Akua Afriyie (Akua Dehyeɛ), whose mother was Nana Afia Kobi I, Asantehemaa from 1857 to 1880, after whom she was named.
Nana Yaa Birago’s sister was Nana Akosua Oheneafrɛwo, who gave birth to Nana Ama Sɛɛwaa Nyarko (the 12thAsantehemaa) and Nana Akua Akyaa Mansa, whose son was Otumfuo Opoku Ware II (the 15thAsantehene).
The father of Nana Afia was Oheneba Kwadwo Afodoɔ I.
He was Asamponghene who reigned from 1901 to 1973.
He hailed from Achiase and was a son to Otumfuo Mensa Bonsu, Asantehene from 1874 to 1883.
Nana Akua Afriyie (Akua Dehyeɛ) had an older sister, Nana Yaa Akyaa, from the same mother, Nana Afia Kobi I, Asantehemaa, who also gave birth to Nana Akua Abakoma, Nana Konadu Yiadom, 11th Asantehemaa, 1917-1944, Otumfuo Agyeman Prempeh I and others.
Nana Akua Abakoma also gave birth to Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, Nana Akosua Banieh and others.
Nana Afia was born in a small room on a bright morning without the traditional birth attendant.
Her birth was heralded by an unusual incident of cocks jumping up and down with outstretched wings and continuous crowing.
A traditional priest blessing her foretold that she would attain an unusual longevity.
The birth of Nana Afia took place nine years after the exile of Otumfuo Agyeman Prempeh I, alias Nana Kwaku Duah III, by the British, first to Elmina, then to Freetown, and eventually in 1900 to the Seychelles Islands.
The exiling of the King and other Royals resulted in the Oyoko Royals being scattered all over the Kingdom.
This eventually affected Nana Afia, her mother, and her siblings.
They stayed at Mmada in a shrine-house until King Prempeh I returned to Kumasi in 1924.
They then went first to stay at the Akwamuhene’s Palace at Asafo and then later to the Manhyia Palace, till Nana Afia moved to live with a stool wife of the Asantehene called Oheneyere Nana Afia Fookuo.
With a smooth dark complexion, Nana Afia grew beautifully and physically strong.
She manifested virtues of humility, submission and hard work.
In line with the prevailing climate that Royals should not go to school, she did not have the privilege of a classroom education, but was fully educated in matters of behavior, culture, hygiene, self-help, and so on.
Her speciality was cooking various Asante dishes, such as siweɛ, ɛtɔ, adibia-nkyene-wom, apapransa, mfɔho, and bɔsoa.
These were mouthwatering starters that she served her guests before they were invited to the main meal.
She was ushered into womanhood through the performance of the bragorɔ ceremony when she reached the age of puberty.
Even at that time, Nana believed in cleanliness of the body and clothing and surroundings as a veritable mark of a true cultured person.
These traits singled her out as an Asante woman throughout her 111 years on earth.
Through her first marriage to Opanin Kofi Fofie of Besease, near Atimatim in the Kwabre District of Ashanti, she was blessed with three children – Nana Ama Konadu (popularly called Nana Panin, still alive, late Barima Kwabena Poku, and late Nana Ama Sɛɛwaa (alias Nana Ketewa or Eno Ama).
One of quite a few remarkable incidents in the life of Nana Afia was that it took the intervention of a traditional priest to make her deliver Nana Ama Konadu safely and easily.
Her second marriage was with Ohene nana Kwame Boakye Dankwa who hailed from Kentinkyiren in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of Asante.
Ohenenana Boakye Dankwa succeeded his father, Nana Kwaku Duah (Agari) as Brahyiahene, in charge of Otumfuo’s gun carriers and was also the grandson of Nana Kwaku Duah I, Asantehene from 1834-1867.
The marriage which produced two sons, Barima Akwasi Prempeh of blessed memory and Barima Kwaku Duah (the present Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II), had the full support of Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, her brother.
It is said that after the birth of Barima Akwasi Prempeh, Nana Afia was contemplating to seek divorce but Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II advised against it.
Nana Afia listened to her brother and conceived Barima Kwaku Duah.
To be Continued..
Source: http://www.african-research.com and Graphic.com
