Uniqueness of Ashanti

The Ashanti region is one of the ten administrative regions of Ghana. For political and administrative purposes, Ghana is divided into 10 regions with each headed by a Regional Minister.
It has a total land area of approximately 25000 square kilometres representing about 10 percent of the total land area of Ghana.
Apart from its unique placement in the middle of the country, the region has other significant features such as sharing borders with four regions of the country, Brong Ahafo, Western, Central and Eastern regions. All the other regions shares borders with either three or two regions.
Most of the region’s inhabitants are Asante people, one of country’s major ethnic groups. Majority of Ghana’s cocoa is grown in the region. Aside that, the region is a major site of Ghana’s gold-mining industry as Anglogold Ashanti (AGA), which is regarded as the biggest gold mine in Africa and second to Newmont in the world, is located in the region at Obuasi.
Ashanti is the most populous region in the country with a population of 3,612,950 representing 19.1 percent of the national total of 18.9million, according to the 2000 Demographic Survey of Ghana.
Kumasi the regional capital is centrally located within the national context making the region unique among the other regions.
The region is subdivided into 21 administrative districts, the highest among all the country’s regions. This includes the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, which is Ghana’s second largest metropolis with a resident population of over 1.1million people.
The others are Adansi North, Adansi South, Afigya Sekyere, Ahafo Ano North, Ahafo Ano South, Amansie Central, Amansie East, Amansie West, Asante Akim North and Asante Akim South.
The rest are Atwima Mponua, Atwima Nwabiagya, Bosomtwe Atwima Kwanwoma, Ejisu-Juaben, Ejura Sekyedumasi, Kwabre, Obuasi Municipal, Offinso, Sekyere East and Sekyere West districts.
Politically, the region has 39 constituencies and indeed has the largest representation in Parliament to articulate the aspirations of the constituents. This should be expected since this is the most populous region in the country.
Like other areas in the country, the institution of chieftaincy is very pronounced in the Ashanti region and plays a significant role in its administration.
The region has 33 traditional council areas each headed by a paramount chief and comprising several divisional chiefs, all of whom owe allegiance to the Asantehene. The Asantehene, who is the President of the Asanteman Council is seated at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
Manyhia Palace is a traditional showpiece which over the years had attracted local and international attention. All the history about the Kings of Ashanti and their works can be found in the Manhyia Museum.
Even though the Asanteman Council extends beyond the borders of the Ashanti Region, the chiefs in the other regions who are deemed to be part of the Asanteman Council all owe allegiance to the Asantehene, a feature which is not existent in other areas of the country, thus making the Ashanti Region unique among the others.
The homogeneity of the people of Ashanti, speaking only one dialect facilitates smooth administration of the area. Through the traditional courts of the Asantehene, chieftaincy issues and land litigations are tackled.
Indeed Ashanti Region’s near central location within the country makes it a nerve centre for commercial and social development.
The region has abundant, skilled manpower and relatively better social and economic infrastructure. The people of the region have high business acumen, which makes Kumasi one of the major commercial centres in the West African sub region.
Ashanti region is perhaps the best endowed region of Ghana in terms of its abundant natural and human resources available for investors.

4 perish in fire in Kumasi

A 45-YEAR-OLD woman at Kwadaso, Kumasi, who had persistently threatened to commit suicide finally carried out her brutal intentions at dawn yesterday, taking with her 14-year-old son, four-year-old grandson and 75-year-old mother. She also allegedly caused the death of the four year-old grandson of her mother.
Residents of the Kwadaso Estate woke up to the fire, which the suicidal woman employed in the bizarre incident and with which the woman, only identified as Konadu, set the family bedroom on fire, killing herself and her JSS Two son in the process.
The fire also killed her mother, identified as Maame Asantewaa, and Maame Asantewaa’s four-year-old KG One grandson, Paa Kwesi, who was attending school at Bethel Preparatory in Kumasi.
The 14-year-old JSS boy, identified as Yaw Anin, was also attending school at Bethel JSS in Kumasi.
Konadu, who was said to be diabetic, asthmatic, hypertensive and an ulcer patient, was alleged to have accused her mother, Maame Asantewaa, as being the principal cause of her woes and had threatened to commit suicide on countless occasions but had been advised by family members to desist from such an action.
According to family sources, Konadu had also threatened that she would also kill her 14-year-old son anytime she committed suicide to prevent him from suffering from any social and financial problems.
She carried out her intentions when she set their two-bedroom apartment at Kwadaso Estate on fire, locked the doors and concealed the keys to prevent anybody from entering to rescue them.
When her 75-year-old mother saw that they had been trapped and had no means of escaping, she attempted to push the four-year-old boy through the windows but he was also trapped in the iron bars in the windows, making it impossible for the rescue team outside to help.
When help finally came, the four-year-old boy, together with Maame Asantewaa, Anin and the arsonist had been burnt beyond recognition.
Their bodies have been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) mortuary for autopsy.
The police have also initiated investigations into the incident.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the incident, the landlady, Madam Akua Afriyie, said Maame Asantewaa had been her in-law who had been taking care of their grandson, Paa Kwesi.
She explained that both Paa Kwesi’s father, who is her son, and his wife, have travelled abroad and so catering for the young boy became Maame Asantewaa’s responsibility.
She said two years ago, Konadu started visiting her mother, Maame Asantewaa, in the house at Plot 39, Block A, Kwadaso Estate, and not long afterwards, she started quarrelling with her mother, accusing her of being the cause of her ailment.
She explained that Konadu was at that time suffering from various diseases, including diabetes, ulcer, hypertension and asthma, and was, therefore, hospitalised on countless occasions.
Madam Afriyie said just last Tuesday Konadu again threatened to commit suicide so family members advised her against the threat. But she carried out her threat by setting their family bedroom ablaze.
Explaining, Madam Afriyie said at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, she heard some people shouting and banging the doors that the house was on fire.
She said when the tenants assembled at the main house, they got to know that the four deceased persons had been trapped, since their main bedroom was on fire with the doors locked and the keys removed.
According to the landlady, when the tenants attempted to rescue the deceased family, Maame Asantewaa, who was then alive, shouted that it was Konadu who had set the room ablaze and concealed the keys to prevent any of them from escaping.
She said at that time Maame Asantewaa attempted to push her four-year-old grandson through the windows to prevent him from burning but he was also trapped in the iron bars.
She said by the time personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service arrived on the scene to put out the fire all the four persons had been burnt beyond recognition.
Meanwhile Nana Yaw Barimah reports that the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah accompanied by his Deputy, Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, led the Ashanti Regional Security committee (RESEC) to visit the scene of the trragedy.
The Ashanti Regional Minister was moved when he learnt that the four year-old child who made frantic efforts to escape was later burnt by the fire.
Mr Owusu-Ansah on behalf of the government expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and assured them that the police and personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service would investigate the circumstances that led to the incident.