The Asantehene among many attributes has one title that will forever keep my grandmum in memory.
At her last visit to Accra, where my family hosted her, she enriched my cultural knowledge with some infos I may have never met.
It was 6pm, as regularly done at home, we commit our attention to the Radio Evening News. Most times, the dial is logged on 104.3Mhz, the frequency of Peace FM, a leading Radio station in Ghana. A certain Nana Agyei Sikapa was the anchor on this fateful day, and as typical of him, every chance he has on Radio is characterized by a witty display of his enviable linguistic prowess in the Akan Language.
As expected of him, the news item that had the Asantehene in mention was expertly delivered with praise and appellations to His Majesty. Aside the mentioning of Otumfuor Osei Tutu, Nana Agyei Sikapa adorn the great king with lots of appellations as he spoke about him to the attentive listeners pertaining the latest happenings regarding Otumfuor’s Educational Trust Fund.
Among the attentive listeners was a certain Nana Ayimadu and his grandmum who was on a visit. When Nana Agyei spoke of the Otumfuor, he mentioned names like Osei Tutu Ababio and attributes like Opemsuo.
My granny is a talkative, one that qualifies to be termed annoying! But this time she seemed to have caught my attention rightly after I had hidden it from her, all day. She called ‘Nana’, then I got to know there was something up to be told and my ears will be the unfortunate but gracious recipient.
‘s3 w) fr3 Asantehene se Opemsuo a, wo nim ase kyer3?’ She asked in Twi. To wit, she was quizzing me to know if I fathomed the title: OPEMSUO.
Was I to be bordered? Yes! I have been very particular about such informations and detials due to my undying interest in our Traditional History and Culture.
But I knew none about this one (OPEMSUO Title). It wasn’t new to me, but this word had never struck me to seek its meaning.
I spoke back to my grandmum, in a manner to disclose that I had no idea. She smiled, and that was a vivid indication to the fact that Ayimadu was going to be schooled wether he minded or not!
Granny’s lecture is dubbed summarily into English for your, mine & our benefit, below:
“Because the current Asantehene selected the stool name of the great Osei Tutu of the Kingdom’s History, all titles of the former can be traditionally transfered to the latter. So, If you hear him being mentioned as Osei Tutu Ababio, instead of his usual Osei Tutu II, don’t be lost, it is just a signification of his traditional regard as an incarnate or replica of Osei Tutu the first, or to wit, his come-back persona.
“As known of the former Osei Tutu, his bid to stretch the length of the Asante Kingdom got him killed while crossing the Pra River. This feat left him with the title: ‘Opemsuo’ which denotes his last point in battle was the waters (River Pra).“
Her explanation was easy to comprehend, but aside that, it also left a mark that made me pay attention to her speech afterwards.
My granny is currently on a sickbed at the Koforidua General Hospital, if you read this and are enthused of her addition to your knowledge, please remember her in your prayers.
