Features
The Saga of being Ewe… (Final Part)
• The Akuapem Guan and Ewe claim Okomfo Anokye was one of their own
First, it must be pointed out that the Asante have never claimed to own Komfo Anokye as theirs, but they treasure him for having ‘conjured ‘ the Golden Stool from the sky. It is rather the Akuapem Guan and Ewe who claim the great spiritualist as one of their own.
I read about Komfo Anokye and the Asante kingdom in Primary School. In Upper Primary I started hearing the story of one Atsu Tsala who was said to become known as Komfo Anokye. This was almost six decades ago. The wife of Tsala’s twin brother, Etse Tsali, was said to have lived in a thicket called Kleve, west-south-west of Anyako. People feared to go to Kleve because of the spirituality the place evokes even till today.
At age 12, I was asked by my maternal grandmother one day to accompany her to Kleve. We called her Daaɖi, and in her company I had no reason to fear anything. It turned out that twins could go to Kleve without any inhibition. Daaɖi was a twin. She was going to Kleve to look for her twin sister who died when they were still toddlers.
My grandmother chartered a canoe to ferry us to the thicket just about three knots from our home. She led me into the thicket, leaving the boatsman waiting at the landing. In the thicket was a clearing, a dirt floor that looked like having being swept seconds before our arrival. There was no one in sight. It was rather cool in there as opposed to the warmth outside. I took in the foliage that gave ambience to the dreaded Kleve.
Daaɖi said something I could not quite comprehend and a voice that filled the whole place responded and I heard the voice say her twin she inquired about had already returned to the physical plane and was a young girl in some village whose name I cannot recollect and that her grief must be over. The voice told her that the grandson she came with would one day give her twins. I gave this prediction little thought.
It was on our way back that Ɖaaɖi confirmed the story of Tsali and Tsala, who were psychic twins from birth. Their Dad, Akplɔmada (the spear that cannot be thrown), was himself a very powerful spiritualist. As young adults Tsali was notorious for showing off his powers to the chagrin of their father and their village folks.
Tsali would mock people on their way to their farms. He would put a cassava stick in the ground and by the time the people returned from their farms, the cassava he put in the soil hours earlier was ready for harvesting. That was the misuse of powers that got Tsala to go back to Notsie in Togo because he was uncomfortable with the brother’s behaviour.
Tsala returned by way of the Kabakaba hills near Koedze and journeyed to Akwamu. It was said he teleported himself to the west bank of the Volta river. Another narrative was that he commanded a crocodile to ferry him across. Then he went on through Krobo land and settled at Awukugua, then later met an Asante royal at Brekusu and went to Kumasi with him.
Meanwhile, extremely fed up with Tsali and his shenanigans the people grabbed him, tied him up, put him in a sack with a huge rock tied to the sack to add weight and dumped him in the Volta river. They saw him go under. Next day Tsali was spotted on the back of a crocodile with the sack slung over his shoulder with the boulder inside it.
Realising his status with the people, Tsala left, settled at Kleve and married a woman. The boulder is still at Konu, the eastern tip of Anyako today. It’s called Tsali Kpe (Tsali’s Rock).
Now, the Awukugua narrative is that a baby was born with unusual characteristics to one Annor. As a result people would say, “Annor, kye wo bia,” to wit, Annor, look at your child, hence the child being called Anokye. One old friend I had when I was in College at Akropong, Opanyin Akuffo, debunked this narrative. He asserted that there are traditional and customary ways of even giving strange names, but Annor kye is not one. According to him, the name Anokye predated Komfo Anokye.
Opanyin averred that it could have been none of anyone else’s business to ask or tell Annor to look at his own child. To him, this did not add up to make any sense.
“The folks referred to him as Komfo Nokye because they could not pronounce Notsie correctly. They then decided since Anokye was part of their names, they could as well call him thus. Tsala saw their challenge with how to pronounce Notsie and let them call him Anokye instead, “he told me.
He said people were easily called by their places of origin. Maame Fante, Maame Nkran, Egya Lome etc. He added that Akans could not pronounce Notsie and, indeed, names of non-Akan names correctly. After he took me to see the place Komfo Anokye stayed, Opanyin Akuffo narrated in almost same detail as my grandmother did. I was in awe of this octogenarian who was not Ewe yet knew what he was talking about. He was the one who confirmed my long held knowledge that there was cocoa in Ghana before Tetteh Quarshie brought the Fernando Po variety.
The old man confirmed that no one knew how Komfo Anokye died. He simply ‘went away’ as did Tsali. The woman Tsali married did not know how her husband ‘went away’. The mystery accounts for the fear of Kleve. Tsali’s wife was only called Kleve Teshie. She lived alone by herself in the thicket because people feared to go near her.
Nothing planted in the clearing at Kleve will sprout or geminate. No one knows why.
It is said that those who befriended Tsali were told by Tsali himself that his twin brother had gone with some royals to Coomasi (Kumasi) after being in Notsie and Akuapem mountains. He was said to have told people that he and his brother would one day ‘travel together.’
It is up to the reader to decide which narrative makes more sense and closer to the truth. Truth, however, is that the deaths of Komfo Anokye and Tsali were never known or recorded.
Just before my grandmother died in February of 1983 she told her daughter, my aunt, to tell me to take good care of her sisters (my twin daughters) who were toddlers at the time.
There is also the issue of whether kente originated from Bonwire in Ashanti or Kpetoe in the Volta Region. Much as I would personally advocate historical facts to be established and documented, what is rather very important is for our leaders to get kente patented as a Ghanaian product for the economic benefits to the country.
How China comes to produce fabric in kente and adinkra designs beats my mind. It is as if this country is rudderless and has no sense of direction. The Philippines have a white apparel made from sisal that has become a national costume, which in turn rakes in revenue to that country.
An Asante friend who has expertise in Asante linguistics tells me kente is one of many words borrowed into Akan lingo. The Ewe call it kete, which has a convoluted but relevant meaning to the woven fabric.
As a nation we care very little about how to make our indigenous resources attractive enough to take in revenue. Politicking seems to be a more accepted discourse than our economic survival as a people. The direction we are heading does not give hope for the future. Sad, if you asked me.
Writer’s email address: akofa45@yahoo.com
By Dr Akofa K. Segbefia
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
