Agogo Citizens Assoc - Washington Metro Area

About the Great Agogo State:

Agogo stool is known and called Kyei and Korobon Stool. It belongs to the Aduana Clan. The royal clan of Agogo is believed to have migrated from Asantemanso to Nyanoase near Nsawam.

Oral tradition states that they were among the Akwamu people who migrated from Asantemanso under their chief, Ansah Sasraku to Nyanoase. The first chief of Agogo, Ofori Krobon was said to be a royal of the Akwamu stool and a sub-chief of the state. Oral traditions further states that there was war between the Akwamu people and the Ga people during the reign of Ga chief Okai Koi in about AD1630. The Akwamu people were defeated. This defeat brought disorder in the Akwamu State, therefore Nana Ofori Korobon and his people left Akwamu and settled at Osatenso in the Afram plains. Ofori Korobon and his people wandered in the mountainous area at the eastern banks of the Volta and Anum area until they found an area at the western banks of the river which looked undulating, so they managed to cross the river to the other end of Afram plains. The known chief at the new area of Afram plains that is Osateneso was called Atala Afram (Atala Finam).

The settlers learnt from their hunters that there were other people living at the area who were also of the Aduana clan. The people in question were Kumawu and Kwaman people. The hunters of those towns complained that they were always harassed by the hunters of Atala Afram. The hunters of Agogo complained the same. One day when the hunters of Atala Afram were hunting they met an Agogo hunter in the forest. They therefore charged the Agogo hunter for trespassing.  The Agogo hunter was therefore summoned to appear before Atala Afram's Council of Elders to explain why he was found on the land. When the hunter reported the summons to Nana Ofori Korobon, he refused to let the hunter go to meet Atala Afram's people. The refusal resulted in a war.  Nana Ofori Korobon therefore sought for the help of the other Asuana towns whose hunters were also subjected to harassment by Atala Afram's people. The chiefs contacted Nana Efa Kai of Kumawu and Nana Ntori Nimpa of Kwaman. Atala Afram and his people could not stand the might of the allied forces therefore he and his people fled across the Volta River leaving the land vacant.  He also left his Abamon, Odwira and Ntahara.

After the war the three chiefs shared the war booty as follows. The Abamo went to Nana Ataa Akyampon, Kumawuhene's mother. The Odwira was given to Kwamanhene and the Ntahare given to Nana ofori Korobon. Nana Ofori Korobon later presented the Ntahara to Nsutahene, Nana Oduro Panin who was his son, during the installation of the latter on the Nsuta Stool. After the war the three chiefs drank fetish pledging that they would never depart from one another in times of trouble or war. The pledge gave rise to Agogo people's Motto. "Yensom Obi, Yennam Obi nso Yenne Yen Ho.  That is we serve no one, we depend upon no one yet we are not independent! They found out that though they were independent, they were obliged to go and help others since they may also request some people to come to their aid in time of trouble.

Agogo remained independent. Oral traditions state that Nana Ofori Korobon sought the help of Krakye Dente, the great fetish of the time so that he could be victorious in the encounter with Atala Afram. He therefore mad some pledges to the fetish, but after victory, he failed to fulfill the pledges. Because of his failure to honour his pledges he did not live long to reap the result of their victory but he and his elders were driven by bees and they, all perished in a deep called Bunfuom on the Onwam River. However the queen mother, Nana Mansa Ntim and his second chief Nana Toku and the rest of the people led by the queen mother came to Agogowa and finally to the present, Agogo Site.

Agogo counted on their independence and did not take part in the Dormaa war, during the reign of Kumasehene, Nana Obiri Yeboa.  When the individual Asante states united under Nana Osei Tutu to fight Denkyira for their independence, Agogo did not join the Union but Nana Toku and his people went in to help the Asante States during the war as a sign of friendship with Asanteman.  Nana Kwabena Toku was succeeded by Nana Kwaku Tuuda.  He also followed the footsteps of his predecessor and took part in the Takyiman war as a help to Nana Opoku Ware I. Nana Kwaku Tuuda was succeeded by Nana Anim Aboagye who only ruled for forty days and died.

Nana Anim Aboagye was succeeded by his nephew Okumanin Awere during the reign of Nana Opoku Ware I. It was during the reign of Nana Okumanin Awere that Agogo sought union with Asanteman. Nana Okumanin Awere followed Nana Opoku Ware I in all the wars he fought. It was his might at warfare that earned him the appellation "Okumanin". “Conqueror of the mightiest.”  Nana Okumanin Awere was succeeded by his nephew Kyei Panin during the reign of Nana Kusi Obodum. Nana Kyei Panin was a wise and powerful chief. The Asantehene capitalized on the above attributes and therefore often sent him on peace missions to resolve differences between rival chiefs in Asante and sometimes beyond Asante boundaries when such cases were brought before the Asantehene.  It was during his peace mission to settle a dispute between Aseibus and Assins that he lost his live in the river Pra.  In his bid to settle the dispute, war broke out between the Aseibus and the Assins and he lost his life during the war.  That gave birth to Agogo oath "Meka Kyei Praso" ie, I swear by what happened to Nana Kyei at Praso.

In the home front, Nana Kyei did a lot to show that he was an apostle of peace. First he realized that though the Aduana clan was the royal clan of Agogo, the came to meet some people of Asona clan who were first people to settle on the land.  Therefore to remove fear of war and encourage inter-marriage among the people of the two clans, he created the Akyeamehene stool for Asona clan.  On his peace mission to settle disputes too, Nana Kyei Panin realized that many a times royal houses were torn apart when there were chieftancy problems. To forestall any future chieftaincy disputes, he in his wisdom created stools for Agogo royal houses. ie for

1. Etia Aduana Royal House, he created Abakoma Stool, for Nana Yaawa.
2. Konkomase Aduana Royal house, he created Adonten stool for Nana Efa Kwatia.
3. Krotia Aduana Royal house, he created Kyidom Stool for Nana Tutu.