A true offspring of the Royal Lineage of the
Oyoko Clan of Kumasi, Nana Afia Kobi S??
waa Ampem II, was born in 1905 in Kumasi to
Nana Yaa Birago (Nana Yaa Bakani), the
daughter of Nana Akua Afriyie (Akua Dehye?),
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 Oheneafr?wo, who gave birth to
Nana Ama S??waa 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
Afodo? 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 Dehye?) 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.
Birth
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 siwe?, ?t?, adibia-nkyene-
wom, apapransa, mf?ho, and b?soa. 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 bragor? 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 S??waa
(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.
Celebration of second marriage
Her second marriage was with Ohenenana
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.
The day Nana Afia called on her brother to
present Barima Kwaku Duah, the child wet
Otumfuo’s cloth, whereupon Otumfuo Sir Osei
Agyeman Prempeh II tapped the child’s head
three times whilst saying ‘Kra tumi, Kra tumi,
Kra tumi, wo aba a tena ase’, literally meaning
‘Powerful soul, powerful soul, powerful soul, I
wish you long life’ and prophesying that this
young boy would be great one day, specifically
that one day he would sit on ‘Banwoma so’.
Nana Afia Kobi S??waa Ampem II cherished
her relationships with her paternal relations,
especially Oheneba Mensa Bonsu, Hiahene,
who took special care of Barima Kwaku Duah,
the last child of Nana Afia Kobi S??waa
Ampem II (now Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,
Asantehene) and trained him, on the
instructions of Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman
Prempeh II to be capable of excelling in most
standards of human life during his youth.
Others were:
Late Eno Ama S??waa, sister of Oheneba
Mensa Bonsu (Hiahene) and paternal sister of
Nana Afia Kobi S??waa Ampem.
Late Oheneba Osei Bonsu, her nephew and
Managing Director, Timber and Transport
Company Limited.
Nana Akua Ampem-Fa of Kokoben in the
Atwima Nwabiagya District.
Late Nana Krapa-Enam of Atwima Boko.
Nana Ama Agyeman, Hiawuhemaa.
She also had inumerable companions who
included:
Late Nana Yaa Amponsah of Oheneba
Atipinhene’s Palace – Kumasi.
ADVERTISEMENT
Late Nana Akua Mansa of Nsuta-Asante.
Late Nana Ama Akyemponmaa I,
Ahenenanahemaa of Sika Dwa.
Late Nana Ama Dapaa, Apagyahemaa.
Nana was such a model of sterling traditional,
cultural, moral, social and religious character
traits that when the Asantehemaa, Nana Ama
S??waa Nyarko II, died, Otumfuo Opoku Ware
II had no hesitation whatsoever in selecting
her as the 13thAsantehemaa in 1977, at the
age of 72.
Rare qualities
Nana Afia Kobi S??waa Ampem II exhibited
rare qualities of humanity, friendship, love,
and justice as a human being. She was a
woman who loved her children exceedingly
well but never excluded other members of the
royal family and outside the royal family from
her kindness as the Mother of the Asantes.
Biologically, she was the mother of Otumfuo
Osei Tutu II whom she judiciously selected as
King of Asante, as it was her duty, when
Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, who had made her
Asantehemaa, passed away.
As Asantehemaa, she saw to it that neither
Otumfuo Opoku Ware II nor Otumfuo Osei
Tutu II discriminated in their munificence to
members of the royal family and others. If it
is the duty of a natural mother to advise her
son who is in a big position of responsibility,
it is even more the case for Nana Hemaa to
advise the King as the cultural mother. This
duty Nana Afia Kobi S??waa Ampem II
performed to an extraordinary degree. She
encouraged her sons, supported them in the
good things they did, advised them on the
right path, and bore their sorrows and joys,
their triumphs and frustrations. She brought
her tremendous wealth of wisdom to bear on
the traditional rule of her sons, Otumfuo
Opoku Ware II and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
There is no doubt that because Otumfuo Osei
Tutu II followed the wise counsel of a devoted
mother in the double sense of biological birth
and cultural exigency, it became possible,
after his enstoolment as King of Asante, to
become known as “King Solomon.”
Special Day
Through the urging of Nana Afia Kobi S??waa
Ampem II, a special day was set aside, during
the 15th Anniversary Celebration of Otumfuo
Osei Tutu II’s enstoolment, for Ahemaa of
Asante. But interesting enough, Ahemaa from
Denkyira (Central Region), Akyem (Eastern
Region) and the Volta Region also came,
which helped to give the occasion a national
character.
Nana Hemaa was the Life Patron of Ghana
Women Initiative Foundation established by
Dr. Esther Ocloo and others. The functions of
the Foundation were to encourage education
of girls, the empowerment of women,
inculcation of good traditional and moral
values for women etc.
Even though she was of royal blood, Nana
Afia Kobi S??waa Ampem II was never
boastful. She pointed out what was wrong
and what was right to those concerned.
Right from her infancy, she never dressed up
immodestly, and since her enstoolment, she
was renowned for her exemplary hard work
and industriousness.
It should be recalled that before she became
Asantehemaa, Nana Afia had passbooks with
UAC, CFAO, UTC, with which she engaged in
the sale of cloth and other trading activities.
She also dealt in the sale of lumber which was
supplied by her nephew, Oheneba Osei Bonsu
of T.A.T. fame.
As a young girl, she served ungrudgingly her
senior relatives. These included her
predecessor, Nana Amma S??waa Nyarko. In
her early years, a prophetic statement had
been made that she and her son would in the
future hold responsible positions in society.
Although Nana Afia Kobi S??waa Ampem II
was a woman of culture to the core, she was
also a convinced Christian. At the age of 22,
she was baptized and confirmed in the
Anglican faith at St. Cyprian’s Anglican
Church in Kumasi. This was in 1927, three
years after the return of King Agyeman
Prempeh I from the Seychelles Islands in
1924.
The name given her, Mary Afful, was a
corrupted form of Afodo?, her father’s name.
She enrolled in the Good Shepherd Society of
the Church and held on to her faith. Until her
death, she was a communicant. The Anglican
Clergy of St. Cyprian’s Cathedral frequently
said Mass for her and her son at Manhyia
Palace.
Her second husband, being a Catholic, asked
that her two children to be baptized in the
Catholic Church, and it happened that it was
the present Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of
Kumasi, the Most Reverend Peter Kwasi
Sarpong, who baptized Barima Kwaku Duah,
the present Asantehene.
Kumasiman, Asanteman and Ghana hail you,
Nana Afia Kobi S??waa Ampem II, as an
embodiment of what is best in Ghanaian
womanhood. You had a tremendous sense of
discipline.
You would not succumb to political pressure
to influence your choice of the King of Asante.
You were blessed with the old age of 111,
during which you never completely lost any of
your senses – taste, smell, sight, hearing and
touch.
You had a colossal memory and sharp mind
which, right up to your passing away, did not
diminish. You were able to remember people,
places, events and occurrences, and you
remembered them with amazing ease and in
incredible minute detail.
God, your Creator, even while you were still
alive, had shown satisfaction in your
performance as Ohemaa. Go to your Mother
Mary. She will conduct you to her Son, and
her Son will introduce you to your great
ancestors of Oyoko at Asamando!
NANA, DA YIE!