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Making Kwamankese great and strong …An audacious agenda for new Tufuhene
Tufuhene of Kwamankese
An employee of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ms Veronica Hope Jones was recently installed Tufuhene of the Kwamankese Tradi¬tional Area with the stool name Nana Adu Panyin Nkuma II.
Nana Nkuma II, 51, comes from the Anona/ Aduana Royal family of Ayeldu in the Abura-Ase¬bu-Kwamankese district of the Central Region.
She is a Customer Ser¬vice Relations Executive at the ECG at Takoradi in the Western Region.
Her installation to the royal diadem, comes as one of the rare feats in the chieftaincy domain in Ghana, which is male-dom¬inated.
In an interview with The Spectator, Nana Nkuma II, who models as Yaa As¬antewaa, the great Ejisu queen as her mentor, spoke about her appoint¬ment into the high public office, her vision, especial¬ly peace and unity, devel¬opment and advocacy for the youth.
Below are excerpts of the interview:
The Spectator: Congrat¬ulations, Nana, on your installation. What factors do you think were consid-ered for your selection?
Nana Nkuma II: Thank you very much. The se¬lection of a chief and the processes leading to the installation may be due to death, abdication or if it is a new creation. In my case, my uncle died, he was the Tufuhene of the Kwamankese Traditional Area. The family needed to fill the vacuum, and I was chosen.
TS: What do you think was the motivation of the Nsona family for selecting you?
Nana: Well, to the best of my knowledge, I am very brave and firm like Yaa Asantewaa.
TS: Right. You’re talking about firmness and brav¬ery. How would these qualities help you to drive your leadership?
Nana: The role of the Tufuhene is to lead the Asafo companies and other chiefs of Asafo companies of the town. Tufuhene also leads the Asafo com¬panies during the annual turnouts, supervises the training of warriors with the consent and guidance of the Krontihene and enforces strategies during enstoolment and other ceremonial occasions.
Also, the Tufuhene’s duty is to organise the Asafo companies to enliven the ceremonies such as fes¬tivals and national func¬tions.
Again, the Tufuhene resolves disputes among Asafo companies with the support of their leaders. He also sees to the organi¬sation of communal labour and other rescue opera¬tions, such as the search in the forest for lost persons or drowning person at sea with the help of Asafo¬hene, who is also a mem¬ber of Bentsir Number One Asafo Company.
He also fishes out wrong or evil doers in the king¬dom for punishment and can also make recommen¬dations for any person who is contributing significantly to the development of the kingdom. It’s also import¬ant to note that, although, there are no tribal wars, chiefs have now reverted to translating their for¬mer military prowess into development projects and into the realisation of the general well-being of the people.
TS: Briefly, state the kind of leadership you would provide for Kwamankese.
Nana: In terms of securi¬ty and organisation within the community, we call it community development or labour. Unlike the past, tribal wars no more exist so first of all, my role is to unite the people and organise them for com¬munal labour to undertake projects.
Presently, we don’t have any chieftaincy disputes at Ayeldu, so there’s unity amongst us. What I intend to do is to tackle teenage pregnancy among the girls. I will organise a pro¬gramme including mentor¬ships, engage and talk to them about the prospects of completing basic educa¬tion, and even continuing to Senior High School and beyond.
They need to expand their horizon beyond Ayel¬du. Young ladies at Ayeldu must complete their basic education. We’ll also add trading, hair dressing and sewing with support from some leaders and Non-Governmental Organi¬sations.
Another challenge is that, our youth are on the internet engaging in all sort of things; that un-dermines their future. My vision is to empower them to complete basic educa¬tion. Development is not all about office work. They can acquire technical and vocational education to advance their careers.
TS: What are your final words about chieftaincy?
Nana: I am the first woman to become a chief in Kwamankese and it’s a privilege and honour. Very few of us are chiefs in Ghana. We need strong, dynamic leadership, unity and peace to drive the Kwamankese agenda.
I would contact the chief of Essipun, a town near Sekondi who is also a woman and learn to gain some experience. Yes, Yaa Asantewaa is my model.
When women are in the midst of men, it’s easy to get them on board. Together with the Oman-hene, we will tackle the challenges of electricity which has come about because we have only one transformer.
With a reliable power system, we will attract investments, for exam¬ple and boost the local agro-processing industry.
And so with the help of God, my family, stake¬holders and all together, we will make Kwamankese great and strong.
TS: Nana, God bless you.
Nana: Thank you.
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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Intercity STC Coaches Limited has interdicted a driver captured in a viral video allegedly hitting a Sprinter bus during an overtaking manoeuvre at Pokuase before driving away from the scene.
In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
Management said it had commenced an immediate investigation into the incident and identified the driver, who has been interdicted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
The company added that it was awaiting an official report from the Pokuase Police Command to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
STC reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and responsible road use, while thanking members of the public for bringing the incident to its attention.
Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
