One of the sons of the King of Gonja, who also doubles as one of the customary son to His Majesty Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore-Essa I has joined his ancestors on the eve of January 20, Wednesday 2021 at Kusawgu.
His Royal Highness, the paramount chief of Kusawgu Traditional Area, Yiram Kusawguwura Kukraga I Sulemana Ewutomah passed on in his Traditional home of Kusawgu.
He has since been interred at the Royal museum of Kusawgu according to the tradition and practices of Gonja. May the soul of Yiram continues to rest well and in the bosom of his creator.
Kusawguwura is one of the five sons of Ndewura Jakpa who ascend to the highest throne of Yagbon. And the sons are; Wasipewura, Kpembewura, Bolewura, Tulwewura and Kusawguwura who is the last born to the legendary leader Ndewura Jakpa.
Late Kusawguwura Kukraga I hail from the Adama gate of Kusawgu Traditional Area.
Basically, there are four gates in the paramountcy, and these are;
I. Soalepe ( current Yapeiwura, Yapeiwura Braimah & Yiram Kusawguwura Soale )
II. Adampe (HMs Yagbonwura Soale Iddi & Biawuribe )
III. Jakpape ( where the reigning king of Gonja His Majesty Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore-Essa I emanates from, Yiram Kusawguwura Kurabaso Zakaria & Yiram Kusawguwura Gbeninyiti Mr Atchulo )
IV. Woyope ( HRHs Kusawguwura Nyare or Wayo & Kusawguwura Kpolowoso Amarfo )
In the middle of 16th century (1675) Jakpa became the most powerful warrior and conquerer haven taken many lands from different kingdoms in the present day Ghana.
Jakpa is said to have invaded vast areas as he moved on through conquest. He did that through his spear and after each area was captured he would leave behind a son or loyal servant ( he turned slaves to royals) as chief or leader of the conquered people and area.
The Gonja people whose true name is Ngbanye meaning Brave Men!
Jakpa’s first point of entering into what’s known as Gonja Traditional Area was Ntereso/Gbanfu in the Bole Traditional Area. The legendary leader over ran the place, and on reaching Bole he was eavesdropped of a certain powerful fetish who he must overpowered at Mankuma before he could fully take control of the area.
Jakpa never wasted time in taking over areas and its people, he matched on to Mankuma and after a great display of strength and black power on both sides, Jakpa defeated the Fetish priest and planted his biological sister and nephew there.
His sister was subsequently given the title Mankumawuriche ( Traditional the Queen Mother of Gonja Kingdom ) Mma Gbansaga and the Nephew as Kakulasewura ( meaning an eavesdropper to tap information on the fetish priest for Ndewura Jakpa )
Jakpa spent some few years in Bole studying and observing the fetish priest and his antics ….. details later
Jakpa after successfully overpowering the fetish priest also overran the Vagalla people who largely occupied the place.
At this juncture, Jakpa now pushed into the Wala state defeated them and chose Nyange as the capital of the conquered lands and name it Gbenepowurape.
He then partitioned the vast area among his sons whom he had made chiefs to administer these areas. And after defeating the Wala people he took over their major towns which included Kong and Kandia areas.
From there, Jakpa turned his attention on the western banks of the white Volta which was predominantly occupied by the Tampulma people.
History had it that, those Tampulmas were subjects of the Dagomba Kings who appointed their representatives to administer the area and also control the salt making by the natives in Burugu i.e. Daboya to be known by Gonjas.
Jakpa spent some years at Daboya just to strategical over power the powerful leader who control the area.
The Tampulmas leader called Kadechira Tina Dorko was enriched with very powerful black powers.
Jakpa by way of simply coiling the powerful Tampulmas leader gifted him one of his subjects as a wife ( and Kadechira Tina Dorko out of old age also extended the lady to his son) to serve as a conduit to easily loosen his powers by way of getting Kadechira Tiina fallen morsel.
This was later gotten through the grandson between Kadechira Tina Dorko’s son and Jakpa’s gifted wife who was tasked to monitor his grandfather any time they are eating together and his morsels incidentally falls down he should get it for his mother.
One night the morsel felts but Kadechira Tina Dorko quickly picked it and dropped it into the washing bowl served him. The gifted wife who was also monitoring Kadechira Tina Dorko picked it and packaged it to Ndewura Jakpa, but Jakpa wanted a morsel which was with the soil but all in all it still serves the purpose.
That Morsels was the final morsel for Kadechira-Tina Dorko, and one day Jakpa went into combat with the powerful Tampulma leader and again there was a show of black power; but at the end Jakpa defeated Kadechira-Tina Dorko but couldn’t get his head as usual.
The morsel was deep into water in the washing bowl so he was not fully captured as he vanished into earth surface.
As at then, Na Darizew was the King of Dagbon…,,,,details later!
Detailed……… Jakpa became more powerful after defeating the powerful Kadechira Tiina.
The legendary leader then now turned his attention on the king of Dagbon and went into combat with the Dagombas dislodging them on the western side and followed them up to the Eastern side where there ensued a “fierce battle and very heavy casualties were suffered on both sides”
In the end, the Dagombas were defeated and their King Na Darizew was slain. At this point the name master of many lands was successful and well placed. No kingdom could withstands the Jakpa strength when the lion head was in his custody, and smaller towns were in shivers and subjugated to his lordship.
Jakpa took over Burugu i.e. Daboya and placed it under the authority of his daughter who was given the title Burugu wuriche. She was left with a small garrison under her command.
The strategic importance of Daboya to Gonjas was and also to Dagombas was in no doubt because, it was the gate way to the western corridor of the food producing area of the Tampulmas who incidentally were also a very brave fighting force who must be conquered and assimilated strategically to act as a buffer to Dagombas expansion bid to the west of the white Volta.
Daboya itself was economically and socially important due to the salt making industry and the resourcefulness of the river which earned the town its name Daboya (meaning our brother is better than us)
There were persistent military incursions into Daboya and its surrounding villages, this necessitated the removal of the Wasipewura by Jakpa from Wasipe in the Bole area to Daboya to reinforced the garrison and control the salt making industry.
Till then Daboya chief continued to be call Wasipewura since he started as a Male chief and his sister the landlady as Burugu wuriche ( Queen mother of Burugu_Daboya) Mma Gbansaga!
More details later…….
My focus is basically on Kusawgu.
Jakpa insatiable spirit for conquest and land soon drove him again eastward to conquer Salaga land. From there he subdued all the inhabitants along to Salaga which was then inhabited by the Nanumba people.
And the cola trade transferred from Kafaba to Salaga which later became an emporium for the slave trade and other products.
Ndewura Jakpa however, moved a little out of Salaga and built Kpembe town.
History had it that the legendary leader had spent twelve(12) years in kpembe, and had a long break from war.
How Kusawguwura became the last born of Ndewura Jakpa….
Jakpa during his long stay at Kpembe got himself Asante woman by name Yawa i.e. “Kabonche Yawa” was also a royal from the Asante kingdom who was trading both in gold and red cola.
Jakpa had a son with Kabonche Yawa who happened to be the last born of Ndewura Jakpa the Kusawguwura. Kabonche Yawa took along their son to the Asante kingdom who lived with his uncles until the death of Jakpa, Kabonche Yawa brought back the boy to his elder brothers who was a grown up young man.
The young man was entrusted into the care of his immediate elder brother Tuluwewura, who took care of him and later organized and fought and captured the Kusawgu Traditional Area for his younger brother.
Ku sor _Kusawgu meaning fought and captured! Till date the area was coined Kusawgu.
Kusawguwura as last born was also enticed and enriched with a golden staff( the walking stick ) and the talking drum ( Katumpani ) from his uncles .
Any time there was a traditional gathering of chiefs Kusawguwura stand’s tall amongst his brothers because he will flanked his golden staff( the walking stick )
Till date the golden walking stick which was decorated with gold is part of the Royal regalia, after enskinment of every Kusawguwura the golden walking stick was/ is presented to him.
Please don’t be too eager to see the golden walking stick because you will not see the golden on it, the gold around it had vanished into the air. We are still asking to know why we didn’t come to meet the golden walking stick but a simply a walking stick
May his soul Rest in perfect peace. Deo!!!!
