NENE AZZU MATE KOLE WAS A GREAT KING AND STATESMAN - PROF. SAM ADDO

Prof. Sam. Tetteh Addo, University of Ghana

Professor Samuel Tetteh Addo, of the Department of Geography and Resource Development of the University of Ghana has described the late Oklemekuku (Nene) Azzu Mate Kole II, immediate past Konor (Paramount Chief) of Manya Krobo as a great King and Statesman worth celebrating.

He said, “the height attained by late Oklemekuku in his days as well as his contributions in the development of his native Manya Krobo and the nation Ghana – which were duly recognized with awards such as the Kings’ Medal for Chiefs (KMC) in 1942; Order of the British Empire (1948); the Order of the Volta (OV) in 1969; Doctor of Law LLD, University of Ghana in 1975, among others- were phenomenal and ought to be an inspiration to the youth and leaders of today”.

Prof. Addo who is a retired educationist and presently a part-time lecturer at the graduate level of the Department said this on Thursday in Accra during his lecture to mark the Silver Jubilee anniversary of the passing of Oklemekuku who ruled between 1939 and 1990. The lecture, chaired by Nene Sakite II, Konor of Manya Krobo was on the topic, “Oklemekuku Azzu Mate Kole: A great king and a statesman”.

He attributed Oklemekuku’s commitment, courage and confidence to the training he acquired from great institutions like the Achimota College where “he imbibed a well-blended mix of the best of Ghanaian culture and relevant aspects of western civilization, as well as the discipline of mind acquired from the Gold Coast Police Force where he has been serving at the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police before his enthronement”.

He noted that Oklemekuku, on ascending the throne, quickly reorganised the administrative machinery of the Manya Krobo State and established the stool treasury with an efficient revenue collection system which saw revenue rising threefold in three years. This provided him with the initial capital to carry out his development agenda in the fields of education, agriculture, water and sanitation, road works and transport.

Out of this revenue, the state ran its own transport service and awarded scholarships to students. He also garnered massive communal labour through his concept of self-help to extend feeder roads that linked the farmlands to the two principal food market centres of Asesewa and Sekesua, resulting in a significant increase in farm size, tonnage of food crops assembled in the market centres as well as the revenue that was generated from the market tolls. Additionally, Nene enlisted the Field Engineers of the Ghana Army to construct bridges across the Akrum river at Abuachau and Mlegedu at the cost of 9,500 Euros and this was paid from the state treasury.

In the area of education, Nene initiated the establishment of the Manya Krobo Senior High School to replace the Presbyterian Boys School (PRESEC) which was relocated in 1968 from Odumase-Krobo to its current location at Legon, Accra.  With the aid of notable personalities like late R. P Djabanor, he set up the Akro State Schools, two of which have blossomed into the current Asesewa Senior High School in the Upper Manya Krobo District and the Akro Senior High School in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality. The rest of the schools, dotted across the Manya Krobo state, were absorbed by government as state schools, Prof. noted.

He said Nene’s interest in promoting formal education, partly influenced by his membership of the Central Advisory Committee on Education (1946-1951), saw him releasing land for the establishment of the Mount Mary Training College and also for the University of Ghana’s Agricultural Research station at Kpong.

Another notable handiwork of Nene was the holding of the biggest provincial Agricultural show at Laasi, Odumase-Krobo in 1947- attended by the governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Allen Burns, among others- which was a direct reflection of the improvement in the socio-economic activities of his people. 

On the national stage, Nene displayed his statesmanship by serving in the Legislative Assembly between 1947 and 1954. He was also a member of the Gold Coast delegation to the Lancaster House, London in 1948 which made a case for self-rule and was also a member of other such Boards and Committees including the Management Board of the West African Cocoa Research Institute and the West African Institute of Science and Industry, (1942-1945).

The Konor, Prof. Addo noted, also chaired a Committee set up by the Joint Provincial Council of Chiefs to examine issues affecting the cocoa industry and came out with the Mate Kole report which led to the passage of the Cocoa Marketing Board Ordinance in 1947 and paved the way for the establishment of the current Cocoa Marketing Board. Between 1949 and 1973, he served on all the constitution drafting and approving bodies; he was on the Council of the University of Ghana between 1958 and 1960 and served as the Board Chairman of his alma mater, Achimota on three different occasions

Apart from his lead role in the establishment of the Akosombo dam (Volta River Project) and an earlier one which gave birth to the Kpong Water Works which saw the flow of treated water to his people in 1954, Nene became the Deputy Chairman of the Chieftaincy Secretariat in 1966 and Deputy Speaker of the Blay Constituent Assembly in 1969 which discussed the National Constitution of the Second Republic. It was from this position that he advocated for the establishment of the National House of Chief as the mouth piece of the traditional rulers.

Grateful if you could leave your comment below. You can also follow me on twitter @henkingklonobi or reach me via klonobi2007@gmail.com or 0266 000 747.