Osagyefo Kissiwaa Mmua Baayie – Kokofuhemaa
Osagyefo Kissiwaa Mmua Bayie II, Kokofuhemaa. Bayie which means “W’aba yie” to wit ‘she came at the right time’.
The current Kokofuhemaa is one of the powerful Paramount Queens with a title; OSAGYEFO.
Nana Kokofuhemaa is known privately as Christiana Adu Gyamfi, she works as a professional nurse in North Carolina in the US. A product of Aggrey Memorial SHS in Cape Coast.
Kokofu is one of the oldest towns in Amansie Province as well as one of the important and historical Asante states that has so many mentions and acknowledgements in the history of Asanteman. If you are a regular listener of Nwomkro, you may have heard Kokofu so many times in their songs, which shows how important Kokofu is in the history and formation of Asanteman.
The Kokofu stool is a royal stool, adehyeɛ dwa. It belongs to the Ruling Oyoko Dynasty.
Traditionally, the Asantehene is the actual nephew of the Kokofuhene. The Asantehene and Kokofuhene are affiliated with one family tree (Abusua dua Baako). The ancestress of Kokofu and Kumasi was Nana Ankyewa Nyame.
Kokofu is one of the first five principal states of the Asante Nation known as Amantuonum. The Amantuonum are Kokofu (Oyoko), Juaben (Oyoko), Mampong (Biretuo), Nsuta (Adako) and Kumase (Oyoko).
No wonder during the doteyie of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem, Kokofuhemaa was carried in a palanquin to the funeral grounds. It is believed that Kokofuhemaa serves as the regent to the Asantehemaa stool whenever the stool is vacant until a new Asantehemaa is enstooled.
Kokofu is corrupted from the word “Kokoo Afuom” to wit ‘Kokoo’s farm’.
Note: Kwabre Kenyasi & Kwabre Kasaam are also ancestresses of Ankyewa Nyame. That’s why Kwabre Kenyasi Barima & Kwabre Kasaamhene are Otumfuo’s younger brother and uncle respectively. Kumasi, Kokofu, Kwabre Kenyasi and Kasaam are all descendants from Ankyewa Nyame (one family tree) hence the same blood. This is the reason why Kokofu Barima is the one responsible for resolving family disputes that may arise in Kwabre Kenyasi, Kasaam (Amanten founded by people from Kasaam Oyoko family) on behalf of Otumfuo since the monarch is busy running Asanteman.
