Former KMA boss, Nana Akwasi Agyemang
Nana Akwasi Agyemang, a distinguished individual and royal by birth, was an apparent heir to the throne of the Asante kingdom. He was in line to succeed his brother as the Asantehene, in accordance with the traditions of Asanteman.
Unfortunately, he did not get to fulfill his dreams and aspirations and it was not because he didn’t live to witness that moment, but because of his past records, which ultimately prevented him from ascending the throne.
As a man born of royal blood and being called Daakyehene, which translates to “future ruler” in the Twi dialect, he held the rightful position to succeed his brother, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II.
However, this never came to be when, during the 1979 Coup D’etat, Akwasi Agyemang, also widely known as Okumkom, meaning “killer of hunger,” was arrested along with other key figures during the revolution.
At the time, he was serving as the Chairman of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly under the Supreme Military Council government of the late Head of State, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
Under the military regime, those arrested, including Okumkom, were subjected to harsh, inhumane, and degrading punishments. The treatment was unbefitting of any human being, let alone someone of royal blood and in line to ascend the throne.
One of such punishment, according to a report by modernghana.com, was he being made to carry a bucket load of faeces on his head. This development coupled with other issues, ruled him out as a candidate for the throne.
The development is said to be a slap in the face of the Ashanti belief that “Oyoko ba mbo kashire” (kashire is a cloth folded in a ring form to provide support for the head when carrying loads). By barring children of Oyoko from using ‘kashire’, it implied a total ban from carrying anything on the head.
Also carrying faeces is seen as a sign of bringing dirt to one’s self and automatically disqualified him from being a ruler of Asantes. It dented his reputation to an extent.
Additionally, joining politics was very much frowned upon for royals and more importantly, potential heir apparent.
With his kingship chances out of the door, Agyemang cemented his political journey becoming close friends with the late Jerry John Rawlings. He also switched to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) becoming a key member of the party.
After the country entered into constitutional rule in 1992, Agyemang was made the KMA boss, becoming the longest-serving Kumasi mayor for over 20 years.
He went on to become a Deputy Minister of Science and Environment and also served as a special envoy to Rawlings whilst he was in government.
After serving the country in many capacities, he died in 2020 at the age of 86 years.
MAG/EK
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