People & Places: The 300-year-old ‘human-tree’, taboos, prominent persons and food of the Akuapems

They have a 300-year-old tree that is revered as a male city guard who turns into a tall man and watches over natives of the Akuapem area; the Mpene Kofi. How did this come to be?

And then there’s the debate about the best human resources emanating from among them; the Akuapems. They boast of grooming three heads of states including the ruling President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and their staple food; the ‘Nyomma’ they say, is all you need for a hungry stomach.

They are predominantly Christians; Presbyterians to be specific but still have their traditional tenets in place, with the Lartehs who have shrines all over the township.

The ‘respect’ tag is one that cannot be taken off the people of Akuapem but is it still same in today’s world? How did the culture come about and has it been diluted with evolution?

These and many others were explained by the Acting Krontihene of Akuapem, Nana Addo Kwata in the second episode of People & Places, with focus on the Akuapems and their history.

The full interview airs on Monday July 20, 2020 on GhanaWeb TV: