<< Ekuona

​Source: http://asanteman.freeservers.com/custom.html

The Ekuona Abusua (Fantse, Kwonnafo) are also referred to as Ekuo ne Asimpi.  Ahwenie a eda yaawa mu.  The family is also sometimes referred to as Asokorefuo. It is believed that most the Akan families originally belonged to this family and this makes them the mother of all the families. They were the first settlers in Adanse and thus the royal family was Ekuona.  The Ekuona family members are believed to be the first among the Akans who built houses hence the name "Adan-sifuo" house builders.  

Esono nni ho ekuo ne Piesie. It is traditionally believed that it was the Ekuona family that gave birth to the Oyokuo. This started when some portion broke their taboo and ate the meat of a buffaloo. The  people were then refrred to as Owekuo. Those who eat bufalloo meat.    

After Adanse was defeated by Denkyera a lot of the members of the family started migrating and this took them to a small town near Kwaaman (Kumase) called Asokore Mampong.  From here Nana Kwaku Tia left with family to Berekum and Nana Sefa Atweneboa left with his people for Asokore Kesiem.   The Asokorefuo generally love their sons so much that they have always made it possible for them to occupy their various stools although succession or inheritance is matrilineal. This for example has created a problem in Berekum that when the last Chief died the real Asokore family claimed their stool and it nearly led to a war. This problem started when in 1770 Nana Amankona Diawuo succeeded his father Nana Kyere Diabour.   According to oral tradition, it was the Ekuona family that introduced the job of an Okyeame into the Akan system when their chief Nana Awurade Basa of Adanse in the 15th century appointed the first Okyeame. A linguist is capable of  changing the original speech of his chief without making him look stupid, hence the name “Okyea-amenee”. Literally translated means somebody capable of bending or straightening up the brain.   The patriach of the Ekuona is Nana Asante Gyima of Adanse and their totem is the Buffalo (Ekuo). Their symbolic quality is honesty and uprightness. If someone from the Ekuona family greets you the response is "Yaa kuona" or "Yaa obatanpa".

Here are some of the Akan stools that are from Ekuona family:      

• Adansehene  
  
• Berekumhene  
  
• Oguaahene  
  
• Asokorehene  
  
• Asokore Mamponhene  
  
• Abenkyemhene  
  
• Wiamoasehene  
  
• Manwerehene   -   Kumase  
  
• Adumasahene  
  
• Dua Yaw Nkwantahene  
  
• Konahene  
  
• Kokofu Asaamanhene  
  
• Adanwomasehene  
  
• Pakyihene  
  
• Awua Domasehene  
  
• Agona Akurofosohene