Kofi Ayim

The Legendary Kwasi Akuffo Kofi Ayim

Kwasi Akuffo of Akuapem, Gold Coast (present day Ghana), was the first King to have had Western education through the Basel Mission in mountainous Akuapem. As a king in a heterogeneous community, the educated traditional leader was faced with two-pronged problems: the Christian missionaries who abhorred most indigenous culture, custom, and traditions, and the natives who consider the paramount king and his royal predecessors as "outsiders." The greatest challenge and threat to King Akuffo came from the newly Christians converts, including from within his own royalty. The converts had security and safety protection in their newly-found faith. They could flout traditional laws with impunity and looked up to the Basel Mission for help. The King was eventually removed but reinstated after more than ten years. In the midst of acute trials and tribulations, King Akuffo's diplomacy and wisdom earned him some degree of respect even from the colonial government. His tactics and zeal guided him to rule and created a legacy that has survived to this day and unlikely to be surpassed in contemporary royalty in present-day Ghana.