Historian Yaw Anokye Frimpong has explained how the Greater Accra Region, the home of the Ga people, became Ghana’s national capital.
Yaw Anokye Frimpong detailed that Ghana’s British colonial masters changed the Gold Coast capital from Cape Coast to Accra because of the King of the Ga people, Nii Tackie Tawiah.
According to him, the British colonial masters noted that the people of Cape Coast were always defeated by the Asantes, but the Gas could defend and protect their territory.
He detailed that the Gas, led by King Tackie Tawiah, defended their territories from the Asantes, who sought to expand their territory, and the colonial masters, who realised that the Ga King and his soldiers could better protect them.
Speaking in an interview, Historian Yaw Anokye Frimpong stated, “When he became king in 1862, Asantes and Ewes were close allies, and they were always making incursions into the coastal areas. He brought together the Akuapems, the Akyems and the people of Ada, and he led them to drive away the Asantes and Ewes. He was able to do this about three times.
“The whites realised that the capital town, which was in Cape Coast, was not being properly protected because the Fantes were not strong, and so the Asantes were always defeating them. So, if this man (Nii Tackie Tawiah) was able to protect Accra, they should make it the capital town,” he said.
He added, “This was one of the reasons Accra became the capital of Ghana… This was the political reason behind Accra becoming the capital of Ghana. The whites thought that if they made Accra the capital, they would get soldiers led by Tackie Tawiah to protect them.”
“One of the reasons Accra became the capital was because of its stability during the reign of King Tackie Tawiah. Because of his (the Ga Mantse’s) wisdom, economic activities in Accra skyrocketed.
“The whites were mostly concerned about trade. They looked at where they could get their security and safety to trade. And they felt that once King Tackie Tawiah was in Accra, they would be better protected than in Cape Coast,” he reiterated.
In related news, Content Creator Kobe Boujee has revealed the true meaning behind some of the towns in Greater Accra, particularly Amasaman.
According to him, towns in Accra were named after the first King of the area or the things that were found there.
Kobe Boujee disclosed that Amasaman was named after the first king of the place, Nii Amasa man.
Speaking in one of his narration videos, Kobe Boujee explained, “Is there really a town I Ghana that was named after a ghost?”
If you are a Ghanaian, I am sure you have heard the name Amasaman. Most people think that this word is actually a Twi word, and was named after the ghost of Ama. Now we typically look at the Ga words, we have places like Amasaman, Pobiman, Sarpeiman.
He further explained, “The town of Amasaman was named after the first king of the place ‘, Nii Amasa man’. In Ga, Nii basically means a King Amasa is the name of the king, and the man means town. In Twi, ‘oman’ means country. That is why you hear names like Ashaiman named after Nii Ashai I, Nii Man, which is now Nima, basically meaning the Kingstown. For Kpobi Man, it is actually Nii Kpobi Man.
Most towns in Accra were named after the kings or the things that were found over there. Names like Teshie, which means under the stone, mean stones were found in the area or Shiashie shia, which means sand”.