Story:  Kwame Ampene

The brief traditinonal history of Bompata in Asante Akyem is linked with the migration story of the Amantena people who deserted their hometown in the same region during the civil war which broke out between Juaben and Kumase in November, 1875, because the Juaben failed to during failed to during the Welsely Expedition, 1874.

The remote cause was that chief of Amantena had many years ago, refused to allow an Amantena woman to attend the funeral of King Opoku Ware (1731 - 1742) whose mistress the woman, had been in Kumase. When the ruling Asantehene sent his messenger Osafee to arrest the recalcitrant Chief, some Amantena able bodied men laid ambush and killed the messenger. This resulted in mistrust.

Their fear of an imminent attack during the Kumase – Juaben conflict, was therefore, genueine. The story is emphatically told that the Amantena people fled en-routed to Oda to seek refuge under the Akyem. Kototkuhene who still laid claim to suzerainty over many towns and villages in Asante Akyem.

When they reached Obogu, they were driven back by Oboguhene Nana Aniapah. 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.

Traditional further relates that 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, he had with a woman, Ofosua, from Kotoku Adukow near Juansa.

A survey of the area duing the arrival of the Amantena refugees revealed the presence of Adow Kwaata, the direct nephew of Anopim and Akokmentan. He had erected a hut (Wabo pata). 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 Adow Kwaata’s village as squatters till such time that peace was restored between Kumase and Juaben.

The geneology of Chiefs and Queenmothers of Bompata clearly indicates that the children of the sixth Queenmother, Nana Antwiwaa, of Amantena, lived at Bompata with her ancestral stool. Hwe son Attah Kwabena Boadu became the first elected chief at Bompata, while her daughter, Akyia Amma, also became the first Queenmother with their ancestral stools as symbols of power and authority.

It would not be accurate to say that the aboriginal settler and founder of Bompata, Addo Kwaata, neither possessed nor erected a stool for himself. It is not surprising that the Amantena immigrants managed to impose themselves on the inhabitants of the newly created settlement. The successive Amantena rulers at Bompata were Nana Yaah Apatwim as the second Queenmother while Nana Kwadwo Dankwa became the second chief, who was elevated to the status of a substantive paramount chief and died on 20^th August, 1920. He was succeeded by Kofi Antwi and Yaw Kwabia as the third and fourth chiefs respectively.

The traditional of rigin of Bompata, therefore, attributes its humble beginning to these putative rulers. This is how the Amantena people settled permanently at Bompata, and their sorrow turned into great joy!

(For additional information, see “Petition to the Chief Commissioner of Ashanti, Kumasi by Chief of Asankare” dated 29^th May, 1935).

*Source:

            The spectator              Page:   31                    Saturday, July 9, 2011