Geo-Political

Asante-Akyem, as an entity, is referred to the stretch of vast land lying between 31" West and 15" East of the Greenwich Meridian Line.

Graphically, Asante-Akyem, until the recent division into North and South, is the last district of the Ashanti Region to the South.

Presently, Asante-Akyem South district with Juaso as its capital shares a common border with Kwahu North and Akyem Kotoku areas in the Eastern Region.

The River Pra serves as the main boundary separating these two eastern region areas in many parts from Asante Akyem South.

Asante-Akyem which has Konongo as its capital, shares a common border to the North with Ejisu-Juaben district, while some of its land to the west also bordered Adansi East District.

Agogo which is the last town of the district to the east also shares borders with Kumawu to the North, Afram River to the east and Afram Plains to the south-east.

Konongo (which literally means go drink palm oil) can be said to be very conducive for human settlement due to the availability of fertile lands and various streams and rivers surrounding it.

The basic vegetation of the Asante-Akyem area is tropical forest, though there are vast savanna vegetation in and around Agogo and its surrounding settlements like Dukusen, Mekyere in the north.

The main important rivers in Konongo are Owere, Anuru and Dwentin.

Unitl recently, these rivers served as the sources of drinking water.

The Asante-Akyem Water Project, sited at Konongo, which began in 1975 and still not completed at time of this publication, is being constructed on River Anuru to provide pipe-borne water for the area.

Construction work on the Anum Valley Irrigation Project has been completed to boost small and large scale farming in the area and other towns in the Ejisu-Juaben district.

Due to its soil fertility, brisk commercial and mining activities, Konongo is vastly populated.

The twin town of Konongo-Odumasi has a population of over 50,000, 15% of which are immigrants from other parts of the country.

Politically, one has to consider both the traditional and modern political structures in the town.

Traditionally, chieftaincy is cherished and preserved with the existence of the Konongo Royalty (the Asona) clan and the Konongo Stool occupied by the Konongohene ("hene" means chief).

As part of the Ashanti traditional political system, the Asantehene is the overall overlord of Konongo.

The immediate overlord of Konongo is the Queenmother of Juaben (note that Konongohene appears before Juabenhene through the Queenmother.

This is an indicative of traditional standing of the Konongo stool).

The Ashanti political system is based on decentralized authority. Therefore, the various communities within the confederacy enjoy autonomy in most of their activities.

Practically, the Asantehene exercises his powers through the various "Amanhene" (traditional area chiefs) who are the trustees of Asante-Akyem lands (Juaben, Kokofu and Adansi).

The Amanhene live in the capital of their "aman" (traditional divisions) surrounded by the apparatus of the state, Queenmothers, linguists, councilors, stool-bearers and others.

Mostly, chiefs of various towns within a traditional division may also serve as sub-chiefs or in other positions in the Omanhene's administration.

For instance, Odumasihene serves as the Abrafohene (chief executioner) in the Juabenhene's palace while Konongohene serves under Juabenhemaa (Juaben Queenmother).

Konongo has retained its traditional and typical Akan political system intact in structure, though greatly diminished in function.

Many of the functions of traditional rulers have been taken over by the central government.

The current traditional leader (or Chief) of the Konongo is Batafo Acheamponti II.

Under the current political system, Konongo, is the administrative headquarters of the Asante-Akyem North district, created under the Local Government Law, PNDCL (Provisional National Defence Council Law) 207.

The political head of the district appointed by the central government is the District Chief Executive. The highest legislative body in the district is the District Assembly, which is based at Konongo.

Seventy per cent of the members of the Assembly are directly elected on non-partisan basis while the central government appoints the remaining thirty per cent from committed and influential indigenes.

THE GEO-POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF KONONGO, ASANTE -AKYEM.