Abena Pokuaa

The story of Queen Abla Pokou goes hand in hand with the creation of the Baoulé tribe of Côte d’Ivoire and is a reminder of the importance of the mother figure in this region and the entire Akan culture. 

Exactly Three Hundred Years ago, 1720; a sad event occurred in Kumase that tested Asanteman unity. Asanteman passed the test. Queen Abla Pokou was born a princess in the Ashanti kingdom of Ghana. She was the niece of the Great King Osei Tutu, founder of the Asante Empire. In the Ashanti culture, succession is matrilineal. So when King Osei Tutu died, it was Nana Dako, the brother of Queen Abena Pokua who took power. Mpanimfuo se “Akonwa tɔ fie a obiara pre bi”.

After Opoku Ware was nominated as the successor to Asanteman Founder Osɛi Tutu Opemsoɔ who died in 1717, the Oyoko ADAKƆ Abusua (Matriclan-Family) of Nsuta opposed the decision taken by the Oyoko Abusua of Kumase. The Nsuta Oyoko Adakɔ was led by Ohemaa Abena Pokuaa. She wanted an Oyoko Adakɔ royal to succeed Osei Tutu I as Asantehene. She had the support of other Oyoko Adako Stools such as Kontenase, and Nyarko Ekuru (Nyarko Eku II) of Agona Nyakrom (currently in the Central Region). 

Unfortunately, disagreements after his nomination led to war and Nana Dako was not successful in the war. Nana Abena Pokua, sister of Nana Dako, the ill-fated successor of Opoku Ware  fearing the outcome, decided to flee the kingdom with her court. Pokou led her group westward, through a long, arduous journey, after walking for days and nights,  they arrived on the shore of the Comoé River. River located at the border between Ghana and Côte d’ Ivoire. Knowing that these waters were very dangerous, they were confronted with a dilemma: cross or face death.

The Queen consulted the Tano deity that accompanied them and asked if a sacrifice could be made to the genie of the river to create a crossing. The deity replied that only an offering of what was most dear to them would convince the genie to create a route.

The women of the court, including the Queen, took off all their jewelry for offering while the men gave livestock. The wizard stopped them and insisted that what was most dear was their sons.

At that moment, the queen untied her son from her back and said; “Kwaku, my only child, forgive me. But I have understood that I need to offer you to the river for the survival of our people. More than a woman or mother, a Queen is first a Queen!”. Then, without shedding a tear, she offered him as a sacrifice to the Comoé River. 

After the ceremony, the waters in the river started moving and a herd of hippopotamus appeared in the river, lined up to form a bridge, on which the people crossed the river to safety and freedom.  Once they had crossed the river, the queen shouted, “BA NO AWU” meaning “the child is dead”.

The miracle that took place that day also gave the name to the new Kingdom that they founded afterwards. BA NO AWU (Nana ba no awu) in the Twi language, has its English translation as "(the child of Nana is dead)". It later became Baule, the name of the new nation, founded by Nana Abena Pokuaa, present day La Cote d’Ivoire.

Because of the sacrificial offering of Nana Abena Pokuaa\"s child, a new kingdom was born. Before Nana Abena Pokuaa reached the crossing line in the river, a giant rose out of the Comoe river and handed her a Golden stool, the throne on which Nana Abena Pokuaa sat to build the Baoule kingdom. 

After the passage, the Kyidom warriors of Nana Abena Pokua’s army decided to settle at the edge of the river and kept the Golden Umbrella and the sword of Nana Osei Tutu I as a token of their sacrifice and as symbol of unity of the Akans in present La Cote d\"Ivoire.

Nana Abena Pokuaa departed from the shores of the Comoe river into the hinterland along the banks of the Bandama river at Warebo, where she founded Tano Sakassou as her capital city and formed the new Adako Royal Kingdom of Baoule. It ushered in new hope for her people, but it was not until they had fought and defeated the remnants of the Denkyiras, already defeated by King Osei Tutu, that hope turned into reality. The kingdoms of Akyie, Abbe, the Ebrie, the Mbatto and all the Akan Kingdoms and kingdoms in La Cote d\"Ivoire owe and continue to pay allegiance to Obaahemaa Nana Abena Pokuaa, the Warrior-Queen mother who founded the second Kingdom of the Greatest King, Akans ever had, Nana Osei Tutu I. 

In accordance to Akan tradition, after the consolidation of the new Kingdom, after meeting fierce resistance from the defeated for Lords of the Akan the Denkyira, Nana Abena Pokua defeated them in war and subdued them and thereby established the Baule Kingdom. By 1730 Nana Abla Poukou was entooled as the First Reigning Queen of the New Akan Kingdom of Baule after the death of Nana Osei Tutu I. thereby with the stools of Obiri Yeboah and DENKYIRA UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE NEW KINGDOM, Nana Poukou established Baule Dakon Clan as the undesputed leader and Ruler of the Akans.

After crossing the river, Pokou and her people settled into an agricultural way of life in the savanna of the area. Pokou died shortly after creating the Baoule kingdom. Her niece Akwa Boni succeeded to the throne. She pursued wars of conquest to widen the limits of the young kingdom. The Baoule people today inhabit the territory between the Komoé and Bandama Rivers.

As Okomfo Anokye prophesied, “anywhere Asante goes, it will shine”. The Asante Kingdom of Boule in Ivory Coast just like the Asante Kingdom of Ghana have never relented on their efforts to explore. They have produced 2 Presidents in La Côte d’Ivoire. His Excellency Nana Houphout Boigny who was a king and the first President of Ivory Coast and His Excellency Henry Konan Bedie.

Henry Konan Bedie has visited Manhyia Twice and her ancestral hometown, Nsuta. His last visit to Asantehene was last year, October 13.

The modern day Asante Kingdom of BAOULE, with its capital of YAMOUSSOUKRO  (Yaa Mansa Krom) has played pivotal role in Ivory Coast. 

Much of the country\"s natural resources are located on Baoule land, which comprises a huge swath of southern Cote d’lvoire. It is also the centre of the Cocoa industry.

God bless Osei Tutu Opemsuo, God bless OHEMAA ABENA POKUA, God bless Asanteman, God bless Baouleman.... a component of Asanteman.