Abofour

Last updated

Abofour
Country Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana
Region Ashanti Region

Abofour is a town in the Offinso Municipality in Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest town in the Municipality after the Offinso township. It is in fact one of the most populated townships in the Ashanti REGION of Ghana. Though Offinso is the Municipal capital, Abofour undoubtedly is the economic hub of the municipality by the virtue of having one of the largest markets in the country. [1] [2]

Contents

History

It was founded around the year 1700 by a hunter called Bala and Atampo who was named by the Asantes as obofour Takyi who was Atampo and Obofour Ogya was Bala the fearless hunter.Who allied with then Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu to overthrow the Denkyera. 'Abofour,' means 'The hunters'.

Demographics

The town has a population of about 35000, with a slight majority (49%) belonging to the Ashante ethnic group. [3] The rest of the population are mainly of Northern descent;Hausa, Mande (Wangara), Mossi, Mamprusi, Wala, Dagaare, Dagomba, Kusasi, Tem (Kotokoli, Chamba, Kusuntu, Balanka and other dialects spoken by mid and Northern parts of Togo and Benin Republics) and some few Eves.

Education

St. Jerome Secondary School is a Catholic Unit institution assisted by the government. The town has about twelve public basic schools and about five private basic schools. The school is a second cycle institution. [4]

Economy

Abofour has daily markets in almost each of its suburbs, but the main market day is on Thursdays. The market is attended by people from all walks of life and from different directions across Ghana and the neighboring countries as well. It is perhaps the fourth largest in Ghana in terms of size and patronage especially. Until 2017, the market used to operate along the main Kumasi-Techiman highway which used to endanger traders and passers by. It also used to cause unnecessary vehicular traffic. Sometimes the traffic is so heavy that those who ply the road spend hours in the 'artificial gridlock'. In November 2017, the government of Ghana relocated it to avoid such problems and also enable the completion of a redevelopment. Currently, the new market is highly attended by people from all parts of Ghana and even neighboring countries.

It is one of the country's largest maize-producing areas. On the market day, thousands of tonnes of maize are carted to different parts of the country, including Kumasi, Takoradi, Cape Coast, Obuasi, and Accra, among others. Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali also welcome loads of articulator trucks from the same market. Plantain, cassava, yams and large quantities of fruits and vegetables are also grown in large scale by farmers in the town and its surrounding villages.

Infrastructure

It has a branch of Otuasekan Rural bank. Abofour has a police station with about ten officers.

The town is connected to the national power grid, driven by the main power line that carries electric power to the northern part of Ghana as well as Burkina Faso.

Pipe-borne water is unavailable and water is drawn from groundwater.

Geography

The town is about 45 km and about an hour's drive from Kumasi, the regional capital. It is located along the main Kumasi-Techiman highway, a first-class road that links the Southern and northern parts of the country and neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and northern Togo.

The town is drained by the Ode and Opro rivers and their tributaries. Abofour hosts one of the largest forest reserves in Ghana, namely Afram Head Waters and the Opro forest reserves.

Governance

The town is headed by the traditional ruler whose title is Nana Abofohene. The Abofohene is Nana Ofobiri Ti( II), an ex-serviceman and former chief of staff under the N.R.C government of General Kutu Acheampong. Second in command is the Kontihene, Nana Osei Darko. Nana Kofi Agyeman is the Nifahene, Nana Owusu Amponsah is the Akwamuhene, and Nana Kwaku Owusu Antwi is the Benkumhene.

Traditionally this town is part of the Offinso Traditional area, which is traditionally ruled by Offinsomanhene Nana Wiafe Akenten (III).

The town has four electoral areas (councils), each headed by an assembly member. Assembly members are elected through popular elections, and serve a minimum of one four-year term. The electoral areas are Abofour Junction, represented by Anthony Ohene-Peprah. The other areas are Buasi-Asuboi, Wawasee, and Dumasua.

Notables

Notable citizens include:

Health care

The town has a health centre which is located along the main Kumasi-Techiman Highway, and it is currently under the care of a medical superintendent. The centre handles emergency cases, maternity care, and general outpatient services.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Ghana</span>

Ghana is a West African country in Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumasi</span> City in Ashanti Region, Ghana

Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan district and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe and is located about 200 kilometres (120 mi) from Accra. Major ethnic groups who lived in Kumasi are the Asante, Mole-Dagbon and Ewe. The current mayor of the metropolitan is Samuel Pyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II</span> Ghanaian monarch of Asante

Osei Tutu II is the 16th Asantehene, enstooled on 26 April 1999. By name, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is in direct succession to the 17th-century founder of the Ashanti Empire, Otumfuo Osei Tutu I. He is also the Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. A Freemason, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has served as the Grand Patron of the Grand Lodge of Ghana, the Sword Bearer of the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Patron of the Grand Lodge of Liberia.

Techiman is a city and the capital of Techiman Municipal and Bono East Region of Ghana. Techiman is a leading market town in South Ghana. Techiman is one of the two major cities and settlements of Bono East region. Techiman is home to West Africa's largest traditional market. Techiman has a settlement population of 104,212 people in 2013. Techiman is located at a historical crossroads of trade routes and the Tano River, and serves as capital of the Techiman Municipal District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opoku Ware School</span> Public senior high school in Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana

Opoku Ware School, often referred to as OWASS, is a public Catholic senior high school for boys, located in Santasi, a suburb of Kumasi, which is the capital of the Ashanti region of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offinso Municipal District</span> Municipal District in Ashanti, Ghana

Offinso Municipal District is one of the forty-three districts in Ashanti Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988 when it was known as Offinso District, which it was created from the former Offinso District Council; until the northern part of the district was later split off to create Offinso North District on 29 February 2008; while the remaining part was elevated to municipal district assembly status on the same year to become Offinso Municipal District. The municipality is located in the northern part of Ashanti Region and has Offinso as its capital town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akyem</span> Akan ethnic group in Ghana

The Akyem are an Akan people. The term Akyem is used to describe a group of four states: Asante Akyem, Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Kotoku, and Akyem Bosome. These nations are located primarily in the eastern region in south Ghana. The term is also used to describe the general area where the Akyem ethnic group clusters. The Akyem ethnic group make up between 3-4 percent of Ghana's population depending on how one defines the group and are very prominent in all aspects of Ghanaian life. The Akyem are a matrilineal people. The history of this ethnic group is that of brave warriors who managed to create a thriving often influential and relatively independent state within modern-day Ghana. When one talks of Ghanaian history, there is often mention of The Big Six. These were six individuals who played a big role in the independence of Ghana. Of the big six, people of Akyem descent made up the majority.

Agogo is a town in the Asante Akim North Municipal District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Agogo is approximately 80 kilometers (50 mi) east of Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, and had a population of 28,271 in the 2000 census. Computer projections estimate that the 2007 population was 32,859.

Mampong is a town and the capital of the Mampong Municipal in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. As of 2012, the town has a population of 42,037 people. The town is home to the Mamponghene, Nana Osei Bonsu II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railway stations in Ghana</span>

The railway stations in Ghana serve a rail network concentrated in the south of the country.

Juaben Senior High School, also known as Juaben SHS, formerly Juaben Secondary School, is a co-educational senior high school in Juaben, a town in the Ejisu-Juaben District of the Ashanti Region in Ghana.

Juaben is a small town in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipal District, a district in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Tem, or Kotokoli (Cotocoli), is a Gur language spoken in Togo, Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso. It is used by neighboring peoples. In Ghana the Kotokoli people comes from a northern part of the Volta Region a town called Koue. Koue shares boarder with Togo with a small river which is called the Koue river separating it from Togo.

Fiapre is a town in Sunyani West Municipal in the Bono Region of Ghana. Fiapre is very close to the regional capital town of the Bono Region, Sunyani.

The Mmoaninko festival is celebrated by the chiefs and peoples of Offinso in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The festival is celebrated every 4 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offinso</span> District Capital in Ashanti Region, Ghana

Offinso, is a town in the Offinso Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The town is about fifteen minutes drive from Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region; due to Offinso's proximity to Kumasi, many of the Offinso natives have relocated to Kumasi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare</span> Ghanaian lawyer and politician

Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician who served as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts. She was appointed to this position by President John Mahama in 2013 when he formed his first substantive government. She is a member of the National Democratic Congress. She is currently a member for the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana representing the Techiman North Constituency.

Osei Hyiaman Owusu Afriyie was a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He was as a minister of state during the first republic. He served in various ministerial portfolios, some of which include serving as Minister of Labour and Social Welfare and also serving as Minister of Health.

Ashtown Ladies Football Club is a Ghanaian professional women's football club based in the heart Ashtown in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The club is founded on the principles of inclusivity, empowerment, and excellence and strive to create an environment where female athletes of all ages and backgrounds can develop their skills, build lasting friendships, and become positive role models in our community.

Nana Wiafe Akenten II was a traditional ruler and Omanhene of the Offinso Traditional Area. He is known to be the second Offinso royal who was enstooled twice.

References

  1. ↑ "Educational Institutions". www.centralregion.gov.gh. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "References » Schools/Colleges". www.modernghana.com. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "2010 Population & Housing Census - District Analytical Report Offinso Municipality" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-01. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  4. ↑ "List of Secondary Schools in Ghana". www.ghanaschoolsnet.com/. Retrieved 12 August 2011.

7°08′N1°45′W / 7.133°N 1.750°W / 7.133; -1.750

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.