== Response to Controversy about Axim (Ghana) Kingship ==
This is a further response to a claim and response about there being a foreign King (overlord) over the three Amanhene of Axim traditional state in Ghana, West Africa (see article here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Axim). For clarification; Axim in this instance refers to all the villages and other towns that come or came under its jurisdiction, both past and present as well as Axim town itself. i.e. Axim, Agyan, Agyambra, Prince's, Ezile, Apeminyim etc.
The original discussion focussed on a claim that Axim is ruled by a King who is non-domiciled and a non-native of Axim. The most recent response claims that the instalment of this said King was carried out under the authority of a late Archbishop of the Sekondi Diocese. This in in itself would be an unconstitutional act according to the laws and constitution of the Republic of Ghana, for an arch Bishop to take it upon himself to declare someone as a King. A king or Omanhene would also under the Chieftaincy Act 2008 of the Republic of Ghana, have to, amongst other things be installed according to customary laws and also be gazetted as such. There is at this time no evidence that such an event took place and therefore there is nothing whatsoever to verify that a foreign King can or has assumed such a role. One can request a copy of the name of any such persons from the register retained by the National House of Chiefs or Ministry.
Additionally, it has never been the local custom for a King to be installed by a member of the clergy and this claim falls in to further difficulty in that no single denomination of any church is recognised as the state or traditional state religion in Ghana. This method of installing a King is a European (or Biblical) construct and one claiming such a convention is uninformed of local Ghanaian culture and traditions.
The author also goes on to claim an appointed Nkosuohema (development Head/Chief) also holds more authority than this King and rides more splendidly than him. This assertion in itself is spurious. The said Nkosuohema was in fact installed by the Omanhene of Lower Axim in a ceremonial role, her duty being to bring development to the state, not to preside over the people and state as a whole. Furthermore upon being installed it is a prerequisite that she must swear allegiance to the Omanhene and people in whose state she acts, in this case Lower Axim. Therefore the suggestion that this Nkosuohema could be above the Omanhene that appointed her and whom she swore an oath of allegiance to appears illogical, then there is the curious claim of her being more splendid than the alleged foreign King merely for being held aloft in a Palanquin (behind or before the Omanhene she serves).
For clarification the Act within the constitution of Ghana that governs traditional polities is known as the Chieftaincy Act 2008 but it requires a review and amendments, such as the name of the Act itself which is unbefitting.
Section 49. of the said Act describes the categories of Chiefs and at section (a.) includes the Asantehene and Paramount Chiefs. Such titles brings confusion and is a legacy of Ghana's colonial past in which Kings or Amanhene were deliberately labelled Paramount Chiefs in an attempt to lower their status. However, even earlier records of most European nations addressed the Amanhene as Kings. This issue was further compounded by the imposition of regents or elevation of divisional chiefs by the European Nations. For example the Ahanta state had a King, Baidoe Bonsu, who was deposed by the Dutch and resultantly one of his sub chiefs at Butre was elevated to preside over the state.
There is further ambiguity because one of the two words that form Omanhene does not have a direct translation in English. Omanhene consists of the word Oman (state or Country) and Hene (its best literal translation would be; Ruler or Head-of) thus making the nearest translation as Ruler of the State. To further develop this argument and as an example the Akan phrase "Nyame ne Hene" - is best translated as "G-d the King" not "G-d the Chief" and demonstrates that whilst this word can be interchangeable in its meaning, when used as a compound word along with 'Oman' it is more likely to indicate King rather than Chief. Additionally when referencing the online Merriam Webster dictionary; its description of King includes 'Paramount Chief' a term cited in the Chieftaincy Act to describe an Omanhene or king.
In the initial response to the claim of a foreign King ruling over Axim, it was pointed out that in fact there is extant evidence that the Omanhene of Lower Axim is a successor to the original King of this traditional state. The respondent pointed out that there are currently three recognised Amanhene of this state, that of; Lower Axim, Upper Axim and Nsein. However they have misunderstood the argument here but suggested something quite contrary to written records and the oral history. It is recognised that these three Amanhene are today independent of each other and none are subject to the other. However earlier records demonstrate that Axim was a singular state presided over by one king and that the extent of the Kingdom was greater than that known today.
Two key resources that verify this are the books of Wilhelm Bosman and Jean Barbot, the latter generally being a synopsis of Bosman's account but both write more or less the following about Axim state in or around the late 17th Century: "The countries from the Ancobersian River.... Seven of these are Kingdoms .... Axim, which as the notion of power runs here was formerly a potent Monarchy, but the arrival of the Brandenburghers [Prussians/Germans] divided the inhabitants"
The book continues to explain the boundaries of Axim with; "if we take a view of this country before this time, we shall find it to be extended six miles in length, computing from the mentioned Rio Cobre ..to the village Boeswa a mile west of our fort near the village of Boutry".
To note that the miles - the Dutch Mijl (distances had not been universally standardised at the time), today would be around 5-6 Kilometres, which puts Bosewa [Busua] about 30 miles to the east of the Ankobra.
Barbot gives a slightly more detailed account stating that: "This kingdom of Axim... extends about seven leagues in length from the river Ancober to the village of Boesua, near Boutry...This kingdom borders westward on that of Sokoo, northward that of Iguira [Gwira] and eastward on the Ancete country"
The above two accounts illustrating that Axim traditional state was divided by the various European powers and the state has diminished in size significantly since. Most importantly this division was taken entirely from areas that share a border exclusively with Lower Axim. Despite this the land area of Lower Axim state to this day is still greater than that of both Upper Axim and Nsein combined. Lower Axim state also consists of many more towns and villages than the other two.
Bosman and Barbot are also clear in mentioning that Axim was a kingdom, but make no mention of an Upper or Lower Axim nor Nsein. In fact you would be hard pushed to find any ancient references to Nsein. So it is difficult to understand why in the response the author suggests that the Omanhene of Nsein would take precedence over the other two.
Interestingly Lower Axim oral tradition suggests that the Omanhene of Nsein was in fact the King's Okyeame (linguist). By his own admission this Omanhene (of Nsein) in an article written in the 80s about the Kundum festival claims that he was the king and that this is substantiated by the fact he visits the castle in Axim town to pour a libation. An expert in Akan tradition knows all too well that the pouring of a libation is in fact a role undertaken on behalf of the king by the linguist and not the King and this fits more within the oral traditions.
Turning to the treaty of Axim, this document names three signatories, two of which are assumed to be the Amanhene of Axim and the third undoubtedly the Dutch Factor Ruijchaver. Peculiarly the other two signatories recorded as Atta Ansij and Piter Agoeij. Agoeij being a Dutch name and raising the question as to whether this third signatory was in fact an Omanhene as it is usual for an Omanhene to assume a stool name which would be in the local Nzema language. It is also noticeable that there are only two local signatories, meaning that one or two of the three Omanhene are missing as signatories? This can be explained quite simply by the strong possibility there was only one Omanhene at the time. Records at later dates in 1861 and even 1901 provide proof that there was only one King/Omahene up until the latter date.
Upper Axim generally is considered the later European settlement that was founded some time after the Portuguese arrived in Axim and would explain the Upper town's proximity to the fort Sao Antonio. Additionally other relics of European settlement are found in Upper Axim including a European cemetery which would have been segregated from that of the local people.
In other sources such as those found found in the Portuguese archives in Lisbon, there is a record that in 1555 there was a clash between the king of Axem (Axim) and the English (see; Materials for West African history in Portuguese archives - Alan Frederick Charles Ryder).
Pierluigi Valsecchi in his 'The True Nzema a layered Identity' also makes reference to a King of Axim.
The above references attesting to the fact Axim was a Kingdom and that the emergence of other Amanhene coincided with and was in all probability a result of European interference.
Reverting back to the Omanhene of Lower Axim being a successor of the earlier Kings of Axim, there are several sources that demonstrate this. For example in the case of Ahima Diki v Agiman presided over by Justice Nicholl, 1901, as narrated in Casely Hayford's, 'Truth About the West African Land Question'. In this example the King of Axim referred to as Ohin Atta or Kweku Atta was called as an expert witness. Significantly we have a reference to what appears to be a singular King of Axim and this was as recent as 1901 and by chance the name Ohin Atta is one of the stool names used by Lower Axim. The predecessor of the current Omanhene of Lower Axim was known as Ohin (Ohene) Atta.
Many of these and other references support the oral traditions alluding to Lower Axim and its Omanhene and as Bosman and Barbot record the state saw one of its earlier divisions in the late 17th century, but thereafter there is every possibility that further divisions were made. In fact the concept of a lower and Upper town or state is a European concept and also seen in the neighbouring Ahanta state as well as in Dixcove where the town is also divided in to a lower and upper town.
One of the most compelling pieces of evidence that supports the tradition of Lower Axim is that held in the National Dutch Archives in a letter written by one Pieter Kamerling, the Dutch Commandant at the Fort Sao Antonio (then under Dutch Administration). In this letter he narrates the events of how the King of Axim had been asked by the outgoing Commandant, Weijtingh, to provide 8 hammock bearers. The King provided two bearers (albeit too late to carry out the duties requested) and asked three other 'chiefs' of Axim to provide two each. One known as Allaban or Adaban complied. The other two the Senior Broker Edjefoe Kwamie and Nabakouw the Quarter Ensign declined and were eventually fined and incarcerated by the Dutch commandant.
Interestingly the names Nabakouw and Edjefoe Kwamie sound remarkably like Awulae Neba Kwaw, the former Omanhene of the upper town who by chance recently faced a similar fate, as that of Nabakouw, for contempt of court. Edjefoe Kwamie bears a similar resemblance to the name Awulae Agyefi Kwame who presently sits on the stool at Nsein. The similarities further elucidated when we consider the description of their position or roles, a Quarter Ensign is possibly the head of one of the military flanks. The Akan armies were divided in to four flanks and headed by an officer or chief, i.e Bentumhene, Nifahene - Chiefs of the left and right army flanks. Whilst the Senior Broker, could be described as an intermediary between the local traditional government and their Dutch (or foreign) counterparts and is what would be known in the traditional state as the Okyeame (linguist/Interpreter).
https://gcdb-doortmontweb.blogspot.com/2011/03/
For avoidance of doubt the two chiefs that Kamerling wrote about are certainly not the same persons as the current and last Omanhene of Nsein and Upper Axim, respectively, but in all likelihood are predecessors of these two. This is apparent knowing that 'stool names are regurgitated and you will see that both the names of Agyefi Kwame and Neba Kwaw are enumerated !
It is worth mentioning that another more well known chief, Jon Conny (Gyan-?), was said to have initially been a senior broker or intermediary and by chance he was situated at Prince's Town (Kpulisi) which as Bosman and Barbot report was separated from Axim state in the mid seventeenth century. Jon Conny was elevated by the Germans and for some time acted more or less as a king until his eventual defeat/capture by the Dutch. This again supports the point that the elevation of sub chiefs had happened in other parts of Axim state.
In conclusion there is compelling and extant records, from both local and extraneous sources, of Axim being a Kingdom and having a single monarch (king).
These same sources point towards these Kings being ancestors/predecessors of the current Omanhene of Lower Axim.
That for most of its documented history and even before Axim only had one king and a single royal family.
There is sufficient evidence to prove that both the Omanhene of Nsein and Upper Axim were at one time sub-chiefs or in the case of Nsein a chief linguist both subject to the King of Axim
There is no independent evidence whatsoever that supports the claim that Axim state has installed a foreign King and that such claims are in all likelihood spurious and mischievous. That the same is in contravention of the laws and constitution of the Republic of Ghana and must be totally disregarded !
The Street Wreckin' Posse (East Riding of Yorkshire's premier breakdance 'Crew') edit
The Street Wreckin' Posse (SWP) was one of the Premier breakdancing groups (or Crew in Hip-Hop Terminology) in East Yorkshire and Kingston Upon Hull.
By the early to mid nineteen eighties Breakdancing (an acrobatic and fast paced dance style) and body popping (which comprised a series of often illusionary dance styles including, locking, robot and waves) had reached the shores of the UK as well as other aspects of Hip-Hop culture.
A group of youngsters who lived, at the time, primarily in the Boulevard and Cavill Place areas of Hull and somewhat influenced by the short lived Bridgetown Breaker Posse (BBP) came together to form their 'Crew'.
The crew initially started off with just four members DO, SH, HL and NL the latter two being brothers. At the time of forming their crew around 1983 they all were aged between 15 to 12 years.
In subsequent years the Crew expanded to other members including a pair of twins JW and MW and their elder brother NW. The twins were in fact hearing impaired and touched upon how this was not a hindrance to their style in a 1984 Hull Daily Mail article. There were other occasional members including OO brother of DO, TA and Aar.
Over the years they practiced and perfected their craft on the streets of the city and in various youth clubs. They became highly sought after performers and featured in numerous mini shows in clubs, youth centres and numerous private functions in and around Hull.
The SWP also demonstrated their ability as the best Crew in Hull by defeating challengers in 'Battles', what might be known as dance offs nowadays as well as more formal dance competitions hosted by various clubs around the city. They competed in a North East of England championship in Newcastle Upon Tyne where they came third.
They continued dancing and performing together until some members of the group went off to study outside of Hull around 1987. The core and some other members are still in close contact and throughout all this time they remain recognised as Kingston Upon Hull's prime first generation breakdancing crew and performers.