Akyem People of Ghana

Akyem People also known as Akim are part of the Akan people, they are related to the Asante, Akuapem, Kwahu and others part of the Akan subgroups, Akyem states include Abuakwa, Kotoku, Bosome, they are located mostly in the eastern region of Ghana. 

They grow crops such as yam, cassava, plantain, cocoyam and other crops in Akyem tradition they follow their matrilineal system. Matrilineality is the tracing of a descent through the female’s line it may also correlate with societal system which a person can be identified with their mother’s lineage and which can involve the Inheritance of property, a matrilineal is a line of descent from a female ancestor to a descendant.

According to Akyem Oral history, they were part of the powerful Adansi Kingdom, the first nation to build mud houses in their Kingdom at that hence, the name “Adansi“, simply means Builders, It is said the Asante Kingdom emerged and under the leadership of Nana Osei Tutu, Akyem fought and defeated the Adansis about the 14th Century and absorbed the Adansi Kingdom into the growing of the Ashanti Kingdom.  The Akyems broke away from Adansi and crossed the river pra and settled on its banks to avoid the Asantes, Nana Osei Tutu decided to pursue them across the river pra, It is believed Nana Osei Tutu wanted to teach them some lesson while crossing river pra with his army, It is claimed he was shot then they carried out the defeat became known as Abuakwanfo or Abuakwafo which is translated as Guerrilla fighters , Ashanti retreated and this tragedy was made as a taboo for any Ashanti King up to the time of Nana Prempeh I in 1900 to cross the river pra to the South to except their armies.  

Akyem Abuakwas had to have a battle with Akwamu and got settled in the areas evacuated by Akwamu however, Akwamu left some of their people In Anum , Asamankese and Sakyikrom which is part of the Akyem Abuakwa as well as Adoagyiri it was inhabited by Akyem Kotokus, Akyem Abuakwas made their temporary capitals in places such as Praso, until they finally settled in Pameng, however it was during the reign of Nana Ofori Panin that the capital of Abuakwa moved to Kyebirie later became known as Kyebi, Kyiebirie is simply means a black hat used by a hunter using the area as his hunting grounds, where Aduana had already settled, furthermore, Akyem Kotoku settled at Nsumtam- Boso area the capital was Gyadam during the reign of the great King Nana Kwaku Owusu Akyem Tenten he was a great warrior, Guans and Dawus appealed to him for help to drive Akwamu, Nana Kwaku Owusu Akyem Tenten agreed to send his nephew Odehyee Kofi Safori, with an army made up of Akyem Akropong the twafo section of Adonten division to go to help Dawus, Guans and others.  Odehyee Kofi Safori succeeded in driving the Akwamu from what is now Akuapem’s capital known as Akropong, Akropong was named after Akyem Akropong, Kofi Safori pursued Akwamu across the river volta, where they settled up this day and their capital at Akwamufie. Akyem Abuakwa army from the banks of the volta river, Odehyee Kofi Safori and his army, with the consent of Okyenhene, Nana Kwaku Owusu Akyem Tenten, his uncle agreed to stay in Akuapem to protect the Akuapems or Akuapims from any attacks by Akwamu to signify this agreement, a stone was buried and that Akyems were to signify this agreement, a stone was buried and that Akyems were to return to Abuakwa only when the stone had grown , Odehyee Kofi Safori became the Akuapemhene with Akropong Akyem as his capital of the newly founded Akuapem state his nephew also became Amanokromhene and Gyasehene of Akuapem State. 

Okyeman of the Akyem is a traditional in the Eastern Region of Ghana, historically It has been attested that Akyems were one of the Akans who migrated southwards after the fall of Songhai Empire, Akyem States commonly known as Akyem Mansa consists of three main independent states, all grouped with common language, culture, customs and histories, Akyem Abuakwa the largest, Akyem Kotoku the second largest and Akyem Bosome the smallest of the three. According to the oral traditions of the Abrade  ruling clan known as Aduana originated from Ancient Ghana as a result due to Islam in the Western Sudan area, their Ancestors left for Kong in Present day Ivory Coast from Kong they moved to Wam and then to Dormaa in Present day Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana, the movement from Kong was necessitated by the desire of the people to find suitable savannah conditions since they were not used to forest life around the 6th Century, they moved from Dormaa South eastwards to Twifo- Hemang, North west Cape Coast after the death of the 15th Twifo King, a section of Abrade, under the leadership of Nana Asare from 1580- 1595, migrated from Twifo Hemang to Abakrampa to Asamankese, they became known as Akwamu, In the place of their former name ‘‘Twiforo” from there moved to Asamankese in the basin of densu and birim rivers, they offered part of the land to Akyem when they arrived from Adansi it is believed the name ‘‘Kyebi“ which means ‘’ Offer me a part was derived from the favoru done to them.  According to Afropede Akyems belong to Asona and Agona clans, they originated from Adansi region, migrating and founding the three polities of Abuakwa, Kotoku, and Bosome also spelled as Bosume , Kyebi , Oda, and Sedru also spelled as Sedro being their capital, Abuakwa was the largest and dominant of the three Kingdoms located in the eastern Ghana.  

Ohum festival is celebrated by Akyem people during this festival, Akyems thank Otwediapon Nyankopon and Nananom for their blessings their land such a magnificent river birim, Proud Akyems  and their descendants pledge to continue to keep the traditions and make Okyeman strong, free with peace and prosperity, Ohum is celebrated in Akyem Abuakwa in two parts Ohumkan and Ohumkyire it is also celebrated with the chief and people of Akyem Tafo visiting the Gyempremo shrine to perform Akyem legend has it that any person who trips and falls on the journey from Gyempremo shrine will not live to see the new year but during Ohum on Tuesday no noise, drumming and no pounding of Fufu and It is believed river birim is the source of Ghana’s diamond  and Ohum is celebrated twice a year in July / September/ October respectively, marking the anniversary of Akyem nation the celebration takes up 2 days from Tuesday to Wednesday, two weeks before the festival, a ban in nose, drumming, dancing making Monday preceding, Tuesday, home the first harvest they are plenty of food in the house for duration of celebrations. Akyem Slogan respond is Okyeman te ase! 

Below are  Akyem Rulers of Okyeman.

Nana Kuntunkunuku I  the first Okyenhene 1400.

Nana Damramkatakyie 1482.

Nana Pobi Asomania I.

Nana Oduro Apenteng.

Nana Boakye l ( Panin).

Nana Boakye ll.

Nana Agyeman Adu Ware l.

Nana Boakye lll.

Nana Agyeman Adu Ware ll.

Nana Agyeman Adu Ware lll.

Nana Anim Kwatia from 1645- 1680.

Nana Ofori Panin l from 1704- 1727.

Nana Bra Kwante from 1727- 1742.

Nana Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin ll 34th Okyenhene of Akyem Abuakwa still reigning from 1999 uptill now.

They are many of the Akyem rulers not all are listed they are 34 of them. Ackee a Jamaican national food and Saltfish got its name from Akyems, Akyems captured to Jamaica brought it before 1725 from Gold Coast Present day Ghana to Present day Jamaica and According to Nana Obeng Asiedu, the restoration of alliance between Akyem Swedru and Saltpond , our history tells us the people of Saltpond were Akyems from Swedru, Eastern Region of Ghana, they were trading in salt to settle there hence the name ‘’Akyemfo” and among Akyems and other Akans the Kente cloth which is a fabric made of Interwoven cloth strips is not just like any other ordinary cloth. Kente was only manually woven from silk and could be afforded and worn by royalties, but it is now available in different types of machine woven fabrics including cotton, Kente comes in a variety of patterns, colors  and designs the various colors that usually appear on the Kente cloth represents different values and concept of life the green symbolize the earth , and its vegetation, planting, harvesting, life, growth, and good health. Blue symbolize peacefulness such as seen in the sky and sea, love, harmony, patience, wisdom and good fortune. Red symbolize political spiritual associations, bloodshed, sacrificial rites and death. Pink and purple associated with the female essence of life, calmness, sweetness, tenderness, black symbolize darkness, strength, maturity, ageing, Intensified spiritual energy. White symbolize Innocence, healing, and peace is used in spiritual purification rites and festive occasions, Grey symbolize ash the ash was used for healing and spiritual cleansing rituals to re-create spiritual balance when spiritual blemish has occurred and gold symbolize royalty, wealth and purity.

According to David Owusu Ansah, a Akyem native It is Akyem also known as Akim, Achim are one of the major Akan groups of Ghana, Akyem tradition traces their origin as a state to Adansi in the 16th Century pressure from Denkyira in the 17th Century forced Akyem movements eastward into the area of Atewa hills and Birim river between the modern towns of Kibi, Oda at one time Akyem were also active in gold and trading, they are divided into three major divisions, Akyem Abuakwa the second and senior largest Akyem divisions they established their original capital at Banso, Akyem Bonsume the southernmost and smallest Akyem divisions their Chief town today is Akyem Swedru and Akyem Kotoku is part of the three major divisions. In Akyem culture art is known for traditions including textiles, gold weights, the gold weights are made up of copper, bronze and brass also they perform cultural dances such as Adowa, Kete and other dances of the Akan people.

Kwabena Selikem Wiredu Okatakyie.