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Brief History Of Seikwa

Seikwa is an important traditional area in the Tain District of the Bono region. The native language is Kulango/Nkoran as well as Bono Twi(secondary). Ancestors of Seikwa also known as Kolamor/Kulabo are said to have migrated from Dafupeji near Bouna in the Republic of Côte d'lvoire. The migration is estimated to have begun in the 1580s.

The ancestors are said to have left their home due to frequent wars in the area. The people however did not have a particular destination in mind before they set off. All they sought was peaceful environment for settlement. They first settled at Angeavi/Angenye where their relatives from Nasana in the present day Côte d'lvoire joined them. From Angeavi the group moved on for some time until their queen, Nana Davunsee, died at Yerekae, a temporal abode on Gyaman land in 1682. Part of the family remained to protect the tomb of the queen while others moved on to Sikasoko, present day Sampa in 1730s. They sojourned there for sometime until in 1774, a fierce war was raging in Tonye near Banda between Banda and Asante.

Upon request for assistance from Asantes, a son of Nana Kaka(the first ruler of Seikwa) called Akrosoma was delegated to lead his army in support of the Asante. Akrosoma's mother was Jofotia, a native of Bouna. According to the traditions of Seikwa, Akrosoma was young when he was appointed the head of the Seikwa army because of his exceptional bravery and awar prowess. Whilst on the battlefield, Prince Akrosoma got the news that his father had passed away. The shock and grief, which greeted the prince upon hearing the bad news, devastated him so much that he committed su***de. Asantehene Osei Kwadwo was impressed with the bravery of the Seikwa people. He invited them to Kumasi where they sojourned for a considerable period of time as guests to the Ampabamehene.

While the Seikwa people were in Kumasi, a section of them stayed back at Sampa to protect the tomb of their deceased king in accordance with their tradition. On their way to Kumasi, the Seikwa people led by Nana Dagboo Kalimeh, had stopovers in a number of towns where they forged relations that remains intact to the present day. These communities include Nsoatre, Odomase and Akropong.

During the Sagrenti war of 1874, Seikwa fought in support of Asante against the British. When the war was over, Seikwa people went to settle at Amakom in Kumasi. The queen of Seikwa, Nana Afia Bosompenyal l realized that her people were being used frequently for wars. The queen therefore devised a means of exit to forestall the total destruction of her people. She told the Asantehene that she felt uncomfortable at her new settlement due to her inability to get her favorite chewing stick (Kwasogo). When the Asantehene inquired of what could be done for her, she told him that on their way to Kumasi, there were many trees from which she got her chewing sticks, so they must be allowed to go back and settle near the area. The Asantehene granted them permission and released Okyeame Banin to take them to the queen's desired place of settlement.

They first settled at Akomadan then Nkenkasu and finally to Techiman in 1875. From Techiman, they discovered river Nyimpini and followed it along the banks to Nkonakwagya near Nsawkaw. In 1876 under the leadership of Nana Ekye Kofi, they came to Domyaa. At Domyaa, there was once an indulgence in illicit sexual in*******se between a high profile person of Seikwa and that of a relative which is Badu, this resulted in a serious brawl which disintegrated the people. Seikwa people came to settle at Tomeange/Tomeanya which literally means my own town. They later relocated to Domeabra where a severe drought made life unbearable.

One day, a hunter called Bofo Dabratia in his hunting expedition discovered a river in the hills. He informed the chief that fresh water was being wasted out there in the woods while the people were dying of thirst. The wasting of the water in the woods is translated in Twi as "Nsuo sɛe kwa", an expression that has since become the name of the area, hence Seikwa.

Following the discovery of abundant fresh water that had eluded them for long, the people settled near the river banks. At the new settlement, a disaster struck, leading to loss of many lives. They relocated to the present settlement around 1877 under the leadership of Nana Ekye Kofi.

The biennial Akwantu Kɛse festival was instituted by the traditional council in 2008, observed in remembrance of the ancestors who migrated from Bouna in the Republic of Côte d'lvoire as well as gallant deceased heroes and heroines of the land.

As a result of inter–marriages with the Bono people, the residents today are a mixture of the aforementioned. The settlements within Seikwa include Nkwanta, Kyekyere, Tanokrom, Nasana, Atomfooso, Tainso, Degedege, Asiakrom, Gogonte, Adadease, koogbega, Bepoase, Aboosu, Amangoase, Babakrom, Kwadwoakoh, Tiadenne etc. The main occupation among the workforce of Seikwa is agriculture, producing crops like Cashew, Groundnuts, Maize, Cassava and the rest.

Source: Ghana's Brong Ahafo Region: The story of an African Society in the heart of the world, by Nana Agyei Kodie Anane Agyei. With Re–adjustment