•His Role In Abolishing Dipo, Nadu & Kotoklo in Krobo
History is very important and highly treasured. One purpose it serves, essentially, is that, it tells the past, and generations untold are able to learn what they wouldn’t have otherwise known.
As Krobos (Manya & Yilo), we are around that festive periods of the year again, and KLOMA HENGME–The Krobo Advocacy & Heritage Association—often uses times like this to educate all sons and daughters of Krobo, Dangmeland and the general public about our rich Krobo History.
His full name was Sir William Brandford Griffith, KCMG, (See picture). He was the Governor of the Gold Coast (now Ghana) who engineered, put into place, and was personally involved, in
the eviction of the Krobos from the Krobo Mountain in 1892.
Sir William Brandford Griffith was the Lieutenant-Governor in the Gold Coast, and Acting Governor from December 1, 1880, until March 4, 1881, when Sir Samuel Rowe was appointed Governor of the Gold Coast.
On Governor Rowe’s death, he became Governor of the colony for a decade, from 24th April 1885 until his retirement on 7th April 1895.
He went straight to Barbados to enjoy his retirement, where he took this picture relaxing under a tree (see picture). He died in 1897.
So Governor Brandford Griffith retired three (3) years later after evicting the Krobos in 1892, and also died 5 years after the eviction exercise.
His eldest son, also by name Sir William Brandford Griffith (Jnr), CBE, was the Chief Justice of the Gold Coast from 1895 to 1911.
SIR BRANDFORTH GRIFFITH, OUR DIPO, NADU, KOTOKLO, THE KROBO MOUNTAIN
Sir Brandforth Griffith, before evicting the Krobos from the Krobo Mountain, first abolished the performance of Dipo, Nadu and Kotoklo in the entire Krobo and Dangme region. He referred to them as ”The sources of much evil”.
▪A Brief Commentary: Following his abolishment, it therefore became illegal for any one to perform dipo, Kotoklo or Nadu on Krobo soil__Manya and Yilo. Krobos therefore stopped performing these traditions and customs from 1892 until in the early 20th century when we started again. When we finally resumed, and to avoid any issue with the Colonial government, the Dipo custom was metamorphosed into ”Bo Bumi” rite. Few years later, gradually, the ”Bo bumi” rite metamorphosed back to ”Dipo” again.
The history now continues below…..
After abolishing the Dipo, Kotoklo and Nadu, he ordered that, the then Konor of Manya Krobo, Sakite I, who had then died was replaced with a succesor. The ”Jemeli” and the majority of the people were in favour of Akute, the eldest surviving brother of the late Sakite I, who had priority to the throne. But Peter Nyarko, another brother, who had secondary right also put up a competition for the stool, not for himself but for his son Mate Korle__A Basel Mission Teacher, then at Ada.
Peter Nyako harped on the point of the need for a literate chief for Krobo to help stamp out the orgies of heathenism and human sacrifies as well as other debasing customs. The colonial government were in favour of a Christian Chief.
During the Elections, Peter Nyako had majority votes and so the stool went to his son, Sir Emmanuel Mate Korle.
▪A Brief Commentary: The young Nene Sir Emmanuel Mate Korle (a.k.a Huasukple), then new Konor of Manya Krobo, was an educated Christian. Soon after his enstoolement in August 1892, he set about to bring improvements in Manya Klo. He was the first Gold Coast Chief to sit in the colony’s Legislative Council, 1911. He was made a Knight Bachelor by King George V in June 1929, and thus became also the first Gold Coast Chief to be Knighted by a British Sovereign, an honour which all Kroboland and country shared. Nene Sir Emmanuel Mate Korle died in 1939.
By then, his colleague Konor in Yilo Krobo was Nene Tetteh Akrobetto. Nene Akrobetto reigned from 1876 to 1908.
The history continues below….
After the formal installation of Sir Emmanuel Mate Korle as the Succesor to the late Sakite I, a few rounds of machine-gun fired in jubilation assured the Krobos of the prowess of the whiteman; there was a general stampede, and the Krobos found it useless to offer any opposition.
Sir Brandford Griffith, who came along with a large force of heavy artillery, stormed the Krobo mountain early in the morning after Mate Korle’s installation. They did not only evicted the Krobos out of their will, but they also destroyed everything in sight, including the fetish houses.
▪A Brief Commentary:
Kroboland was in great sorrow after this painful eviction. But a bit of a refleftion showed us that we were bound to move with the times, because after all, the mountain top was becoming overcrowded with our increasing polulation, and we no longer had to carry our dead relatives up the mountain for burial. This, should, at least be a consolation.
Krobos, are noted as accomplished farmers. And after our painful eviction, a greater number of the Krobos remained in this old and primary industry of tilling of the land.
For this, by 1940, land became a necessity in the entire Krobo. By 1940, Krobo settlements extended far beyond the Akrum river and Ehiamekyene, all in present day Fanteakwa District. The market centres of Bisa, Asesewa, Klo-Agogo, Asesewa, and Sekesua became not only known as major sources of food supplies to Krobo areas alone, but also to the whole of southern Ghana.
The history continues below…..
BUT HOW COME THE KROBOS, WHO WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR BRAVERY, WERE OVERPOWERED SO EASILY??
Great Historians including the Krobos themselves, till this day, found it difficult to understand how the British were able to overpower the Krobos, a tribe known all over the globe for their bravery and millitary might, so easily like that.
In those days, Sentinels (guards) were placed at all the four corners and vantage points of the mountain. Anytime enemies were approaching the mountain to attack the Krobos, these sentinels sounded an alarm. All the Krobos who were farming, hunting, and fishing at the foot of the mountain will then rush back to the top of the mountain. Once on the mountain, the Krobos would wait the attack of the enemy. If the enemy attacks, an initial squad of armed Krobo men would then attack the enemies and prevent them from penetrating the mountain. The success of the Krobo defensive strategy was very impressive!!!!!
With the above strategy, The Krobos withstood attacks from the Akuapem in 1755 and 1758, and from the Ashantis in 1771-1772, 1811 and 1816. In 1835-1836, the Krobos defeated a combined force of the Danes and Akuapems again.
Only the introduction of ROCKETS and RIFLE FIRE by the BRITISH in 1858 resulted in a military defeat of the Krobo.
The Krobos, not without reason, considered themselves WARRIORS PAR EXCELLENCE until 1892 when the British colonial government overpowered us so easily. Is it the case that our time has come?? Or we were just destined to leave the Mountain that year??
Source: Kloma Hengme Heritage
•October, g 2019
(All Rights Reserved)
Sir William Brandford Griffith, KCMG, the Gold Coast Governor who evicted the Krobos from the Krobo Mountain in 1892. Governor of the Gold Coast from 1880 to 1881, and again from 1885 to 1895.
