Asebu
Encyclopedia
Asebu is a town in the Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese District
, Central Region
, Ghana
.
The occupancy of the people of Sabou (Asebu) with their able leadership, Sabou Amenfi I & Farinyii (fisherman) Kwedgya took them to wars of expansion and conquered as far to the northern part of now central region as to the River Pra, which bordered the Ashantis and southern part of then Gold Coast, now Ghana. (There was no Cape Coast then and Asebus by origin are not Fantes).
The Fante people also arrived in the country later and settled near the Asebu people and the Etsii people. They were not friendly and waged wars against the combined forces of Asebu and Etsiis (indigenous).
Nana Amenfi I was never defeated in any war and the Asebus saw no defeat till years after his disappearance (will discuss that later).
The traditional culture of the people of Asebu places emphasis on Communal Ownership and is reflected in the land ownership, election and enstoolment of Omanhen (no family can claim ownership or lineage of the 'Omanhenship'-this is because Asebu Amenfi I never married and he came with Kwedgya and a lot of sisters. So any hardworking man within the various communities can be elected & enstooled as King of Asebu on the condition that his mother hails from any of the villages.
When Sabou Amenfi I & Kwedgya died, the Fantis continued with their animosity towards the Asebus (Amenfi's body was never found and there was no king until recently. This is because Nana Amenfi was used to disappearing & reappearing occasionally so the people thought he would come back. This created a power vacuum for the defeated states like Abura. Since the 12th Century A.D, there have only been seven chiefs from the original Asebu Amenfi I to the current Amenfi VII. As a result of the various wars waged against a weaker Asebu state after the demise of Amenfi I and Kwedgya, a great number of Asebus fled Amantsendo (Asebu Capital) to other parts of the country. Notable amongst these are presently: Effutus @ Winneba, Ahantas @ Sekondi. There are also towns like Gomoa Asebu etc. and another Asebu village in the Brong Ahafo region around Atebubu. Asebu's original dialect was Guan or Effutu but due to later domination by the Fantes, our dialect changed over years to the present Fante.
branches and bullets from ‘abrober’ seeds.
Apayamkese festival is aimed at uniting all the people of the traditional area and also to take stock of their activities in the past year. Apayamkese festival is indeed a new observance initiated by the reigning paramount chief. In 2010, the festival will run from 14–21 November in Asebu.
‘Kae Ako’ Festival is also celebrated in the northern section of the traditional area. It is observed with Asafo drumming and musketry to remember a past hero who gave his life to save the Asebus. It assures the people of their capability to defend themselves should they be attacked.
Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese District
The Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese District is a district of Ghana in the Central Region. Some of its notable towns include Asebu and Abakrampa. The legendary giant Asebu Amenfi also hails from this district. The ancient Asebu Kingdom was also situated in this District. Most of the people in the District...
, Central Region
Central Region (Ghana)
The Central Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is bordered by the Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean.-Districts:...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
History
Asebu was founded by Sabou Amenfi I (Asebu Amenfi I) who was a great prince in the house of Pharaoh. He was sent as the leader of the men in pursuit of the Israelites on their way to the promised Land (Canaan). Many of his men, as the Biblical account of events show, were drowned in the Red Sea but the rest who survived and were unable to return to Egypt, wandered about for years and eventually settled near Lake Chad (southern Sudan). From there, they came to Benin City in Nigeria and subsequently came to this part of the southern Ghana. In the Lake Chad territory, they lived by the side of a river called Sabou from which the state derived its name. During their exodus, they took with them some of the waters of the river Sabou and on their arrival established the present town of Asebu (the water can be found at the centre of the town, protected by a thick wall and not opened to public except during festivals). It is now worshipped annually as Titu or deity of the state. Its festival precedes the annual festival of the state. On arrival in the country, they temporarily lived at a place near Akatakyiwa called "Fufumpowmu" on the sea coast for a reconnaissance survey to be carried out to ensure the safety of the people. The purpose was to observe the attitude of the people already living there. They left finally to settle at Asebu (or Sabou) in the hinterland and Moree on the coast(around the main Police Barrier to Cape-Coast-stretching as far as Aggrey Memorial Zion School around the central regional coordinating junction-specifically, Ekon Junction) respectively, as the choice for their two main townships. Moree served as the main fishing community headed by Farinyii Kwedgya I and Sabou Amantsendo also served as a farming community headed by Sabou Amenfi I. Occasionally, Amenfi will visit his brother at the coast with foodstuffs and come back home with fish. The farming community decided to settle at Asebu where they found water and fertile land for the cultivation of cassava, plantain, cocoyam, yam, sugarcane, coconut and citrus fruits.The occupancy of the people of Sabou (Asebu) with their able leadership, Sabou Amenfi I & Farinyii (fisherman) Kwedgya took them to wars of expansion and conquered as far to the northern part of now central region as to the River Pra, which bordered the Ashantis and southern part of then Gold Coast, now Ghana. (There was no Cape Coast then and Asebus by origin are not Fantes).
The Fante people also arrived in the country later and settled near the Asebu people and the Etsii people. They were not friendly and waged wars against the combined forces of Asebu and Etsiis (indigenous).
Nana Amenfi I was never defeated in any war and the Asebus saw no defeat till years after his disappearance (will discuss that later).
The traditional culture of the people of Asebu places emphasis on Communal Ownership and is reflected in the land ownership, election and enstoolment of Omanhen (no family can claim ownership or lineage of the 'Omanhenship'-this is because Asebu Amenfi I never married and he came with Kwedgya and a lot of sisters. So any hardworking man within the various communities can be elected & enstooled as King of Asebu on the condition that his mother hails from any of the villages.
When Sabou Amenfi I & Kwedgya died, the Fantis continued with their animosity towards the Asebus (Amenfi's body was never found and there was no king until recently. This is because Nana Amenfi was used to disappearing & reappearing occasionally so the people thought he would come back. This created a power vacuum for the defeated states like Abura. Since the 12th Century A.D, there have only been seven chiefs from the original Asebu Amenfi I to the current Amenfi VII. As a result of the various wars waged against a weaker Asebu state after the demise of Amenfi I and Kwedgya, a great number of Asebus fled Amantsendo (Asebu Capital) to other parts of the country. Notable amongst these are presently: Effutus @ Winneba, Ahantas @ Sekondi. There are also towns like Gomoa Asebu etc. and another Asebu village in the Brong Ahafo region around Atebubu. Asebu's original dialect was Guan or Effutu but due to later domination by the Fantes, our dialect changed over years to the present Fante.
Places of interest
- Moree Beach Resort
- Cannon shells brought from the coast by Amenfi to stabilize his huge body (he was more than 9 feet tall) from been blown by the wind
- Rocks with footprints of Amenfi
- Sculptures at Fufumpowmu
- Amenfi's spear pierced into solid rock at Abura Dunkwa that has never been pulled out (still there)
- Water from River Sabou brought from Nigeria
- Ruins of Fort Nassau at Moree which was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
Festivals
Apayam is celebrated in all settlements. Its main features are remembrance of the dead and the training of the youth to defend the towns, using toy guns from bambooBamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
branches and bullets from ‘abrober’ seeds.
Apayamkese festival is aimed at uniting all the people of the traditional area and also to take stock of their activities in the past year. Apayamkese festival is indeed a new observance initiated by the reigning paramount chief. In 2010, the festival will run from 14–21 November in Asebu.
‘Kae Ako’ Festival is also celebrated in the northern section of the traditional area. It is observed with Asafo drumming and musketry to remember a past hero who gave his life to save the Asebus. It assures the people of their capability to defend themselves should they be attacked.