About the Asanteman
ASANTEMAN ASSOCIATION of WASHINGTON METRO AREA
Asanteman Association of Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area was born out of the merger of former Asante Association of Washington Area and Asanteman Kuo of Washington Area.
Asanteman Groups in Washington (Asante Kotoko Association of Washington Metro Area; Asanteman Kuo of Washington D.C. Metro Area and Asante Association of Washington Metro Area) – Historical Perspective.
In the early 1960s, significant number of people from the Asanteman areas of Ghana migrated into the Washington D.C. Metro Area. The population of Asantes in this part of North America grew steadily over time but realizing the weakness of a divided people and the strength of a united body, in early part of 1982, some thirteen (13) Asantes including Mr. Osei Adu Boahene, Mr. Kwaku Abankwa, Mr.Johnson Boadu, Mr. Aboagye Manu and Nana Nimo Achiaa, to mention but a few, with their collective vision and determination, organized the sons and daughters of Asanteman in the Washington Area to form the first association of Asantes and friends of Asantes in the name of Asante Kotoko Association of the Washington Metro Area. The association, among others, aimed at promoting a common forum for the exchange of ideas among all people interested in the association and to cater for the social, moral, cultural and financial needs of its members as well as assisting in the socioeconomic development of Ghana in general and particularly the Asanteman Areas in Ghana. In June 1982, Asante Kotoko Association was formally inaugurated and Mr. Osei Adu Boahene was sworn in as the first President of the Association.
The Association grew from strength to strength and it was well known among the length and breadth of the Ghanaians in the Washington Metro Area. In November 1984, Mr. Sekyere Aboagye-Mainu became the second President of the Association. Mr. Kwaku Ageman-Duah was sworn in as the third President in 1987 and in 1990, Mr. Johnson Boadu became the fourth President. Nana Kwame Amoah in 1995 and Nana Adu-Gyamfi Kumanin in 1999 became the fifth and sixth presidents respectively. Mr. Akwasi Owusu was sworn in as the seventh President of Asante Kotoko in 2001after serving the Association as the Vice President under Nana Adu-Gyamfi Kumanin’s administration . However, in 1989, some members of Asante Kotoko Association and other Asantes in the Washington Metro Area, spearheaded by Nana Pipim, Nana Osei Bonsu, Nana Aboagye and Nana Adusei Kantinka organized yet another Association of Asantes in the area with similar aims and objectives but with inclusion and adoption of the Asante Chieftaincy System in the affairs of the Association and with the election of Asantefuohene, Asantefuohemaa and other Subchiefs and Abusuapanin who ran and managed the administrative functions of the Association. This Association came to be known and called Asanteman Kuo of Washington Metropolitan Area. Asante Kotoko members fiercely and vehemently opposed the adoption of the Chieftaincy system by their Association. This difference sharply defined the two organizations and contributed to a long period of division and perceived hatred among the Asantes in these two organizations in the Washington Area. Nevertheless, both Associations co-existed.Asanteman Kuo of Washington Metro Area, invigorated by the recognition of the introduction of the Chieftaincy System in North America by Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the then Asantehene and who signified his recognition by bringing the first Asantefuohene Stool to New York and consented to one of his Paramount Chiefs to proceed to New York to represent him to take the oath of allegiance of the first Asantefuohene of New York and coupled with similar Asantefuohene’s stool being sent to Toronto, Canada and New England State in that order, left no stone unturned to be the fourth North American City to receive Asantefuohene’s stool for the Washington Metropolitan Area. The first occupant of Washington Asantefuohene’s stool was the late Nana Baffour Akoto with the late Nana Nyarko
Abronomah as the first Asantefuohemaa of Washington. Nana Adusei Kantinka came after Nana Akoto with Nana Serwaa Brakatu as the Asantefuohemaa. Nana Baafour Awuah became the next Asantefuohene after Nana Adusei Kantinka with Nana Asantewaa as the Asantefuohemaa. Nana Amo Gyebi was sworn in as Asantefuohene with Nana Afua Buo as the Asantefuohemaa.
It is, however, worthy to note that all these while, well-meaning and prominent personalities who had the unity of the Asante People in Washington at heart relentlessly held unification talks with the two Asante Organizations with the objective of bringing together all Asantes under one unified and strong Association. Unfortunately, several of these unification talks failed to yield the desired results.Then during the administrations of Mr. Akwasi Owusu as the President of Asante Kotoko Association and Nana Amo Gyebi as the Asantefuohene of Washington and heading Asanteman Kuo, the timely intervention of Mr. Alan Kyerematen, the then Ghana Ambassador to United States, Nana Adusei Atwenewa Ampem I, Omanhene of Tepa Traditional Area and Nana Bompatahene, brought about the much expected unification between the two Asante Groups. Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding that ensued, a new Asante Union was formed and named the Asante Association of Washington Metropolitan Area which adopted a hybrid organizational structure which has the governing body headed by the Presidency and the Executives on one arm and the Chieftaincy and Council of Elders headed by the Asantefuohene on the other arm. When one would think all was set for a lasting and strong united Asante Association to cater for the needs and aspirations of Asanteman in Washington, the unexpected happened and the unification was short lived. At the very first meeting of members of the unified association in 2003, misunderstanding broke up which led to the further breaking down of the Asantes in Washington. Instead of the desired one united Association, Washington wake up with three Associations, namely, a section of the Asantes reneged on their unity pledge and went back to Asante Kotoko Association while a few others went back to Asanteman Kuo. But the vast majority of members from both Associations faithfully honored their unity pledge and moved on to organize and form the newly unified association and name it the Asante
Association of Washington Metro Area. It took the hard work, determination and sacrifice of some ten founding leaders who contributed seed money of $200 each to get the new Association financially grounded. These founding leaders include Kwame Bonsu, Odiatuo Asante, Golash Adadey, Akwasi Owusu, Kwame Prempeh, Eddie Asante, Nana Amo Gyebi, Nana Baffour Akoto, Atta Nsafoah and Simon Owusu. The Asante Association received the recognition by Asanteman Council of North America (ACONA) and the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, the official seat of Asantehene, as the Asante Group authorized to elect and swear in Asantefuohene and Asantefuohemaa of Washington D.C. Metro Area.
Accordingly, the Asante Association in 2004, after due process in line with the newly adopted constitution, elected Nana Kofi Boateng and Nana Ama Achiaa as the Asantefuohene and Asantefuohemaa of Washington Metro Area respectively. The Association had earlier on in the year, elected Mr. Kwame Prempeh as the first President of the new Association.
The Washington Asanteman Stool
The two former Asantefuohene (Nana Akoto and Nana Amo Gyebi) who supported the unification and worked to bring it to fruition later sabotaged and threatened the very unity they had fought for. The Washington Stool is sacred to the Asantes in Washington Metro Area as we believe that it contains the spirit or soul of the Ashanti people in Washington. The Stool is regarded as sacred and that not even the Asantefuohene is allowed to sit on it, symbol of unity.The Asantes have always defended their Stool when it was under threat. No wonder in 2005, the Asanteman of Washington took issue with Nana Akoto and Nana Amo Gyebi when the two seized the Washington Stool, kept it to themselves and refused to hand it over to Asanteman when the two ex-chiefs disassociated themselves from Washington Asanteman. The Asantes have always been proud of the uniqueness of their Stool, as it signified not only their independence, but a common bond between their people.
It came not as a surprise when Washington Asanteman resolved to wage war against these two individuals for the return of the Stool. However, upon the wise counsel of Nana Adusei Atwerewa Ampem I, Asanteman rescinded its decision and upon persistent refusal to return the Stool to Asanteman and through the instrumentality of Nana Kofi Boateng, Washington Asantefuohene, Nana Tepahene took the matter to Otumfuo who after performing the necessary rituals, desanctified the old Washington Stool and sanctified a new Stool for Washington. Mr. Kwame Prempeh’s administration was severely challenged to maintain the fragile unity and peace and to solidify the gains the fractured unification brought to Asante Association. Though the challenge was daunting, his administration was equal to the task and managed to steer the affairs of the Association until Mr. Kofi Afful took over the Presidency and for four years Mr. Afful presided over the affairs of the Association which saw significant growth in membership as well as marked improvement in the Association’s finances. Member contentment and satisfaction reached an unprecedented height. The Association sponsored and supported Mr. Afful, their president to win the Chairmanship of the Council of Ghanaian Associations in Washington, a position he held for two terms and with distinction. Then Mr. Samuel Akwasi Agyeman, who had previously served the Association as the General Secretary and after serving the Association as the Vice President for two years in Mr. Afful’s second term administration, became the next and the current President of Asanteman Association. Within the first year of his administration, Asante Association and Asanteman Kuo sealed a successful unification deal and today we have a strong, united and dynamic Asanteman Association of Washington Metro Area and Nana Kofi Boateng and Nana Ama Achiaa have served as Asantefuohene and Asantefuohemaa of the Washington metro Area respectively for the past ten years and they have, over the years, worked well with the three different administrations and have represented Washington Asanteman honorably and creditably both at home and beyond. In October 2011, Asantefuohene and Asantefuohemaa were featured at the front page of the Washington Post depicting the Asante royalty in their rich and gorgeous kente clothes and adorned with golden ornaments and apparels to the admiration of the international community. Additionally, Nana Kofi Boateng was featured in
the documentary, “Obama in Ghana, the Untold Story” directed by the award winning Film Maker, Tony Regusters.
Asantes in Washington Metro Area, over the years, contributed to the development of Asanteman areas in Ghana. In 1989, the then Asante Kotoko adopted Ward C2 of the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana and by 1998, the Association had contributed over $20,000 towards renovation works at the Hospital and other medical supplies. In more recent time, and from the school year of 2008 through 2012, Washington Asanteman donated a total of $12,000 for four-year scholarship in tuition assistance of $300 per year, per student to ten (10) brilliant but needy students to assist them through their Senior Secondary School Education. In 2019, Asanteman Association in accordance with the Council of Ghanaian Associations(COGA) was able to donatte $1,000 to the Boagywe Traditional Area school for a project entittled, “ Schools Under Trees.”In 2019, approximately $3,000 of hospital supplies were also donated to the Okomfo Anokye Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Asanteman Association of Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area celebrates 20 years continual success. We know the best is yet to come for Asanteman