A severe rainstorm has swept through the traditional town of Asante Agona in the Ashanti Region, snapping a major branch of a culturally revered 336-year-old tree historically linked to the iconic Asante high priest, Okomfo Anokye.
The heavy downpour and high winds left the branch severed while the historical stump remains firmly rooted, triggering shock and disbelief among residents who rushed to the scene following the incident.
Traditional authorities, led by Nana Obiri Komfo Anokye Boakye and local elders, gathered early to perform necessary sacred rituals.
Following the rites, the fallen portion of the tree was carefully cut and relocated to Baamu [royal mausoleum] for preservation.
Addressing public speculation, the Unit Committee Chairman, Henry Atta Buah, clarified that the tree was not uprooted by the storm.
”The truth is that if someone says that the tree has been uprooted, it’s not true,” Mr Buah stated in an interview with Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah.
He explained: “About seven years ago, a vehicle crashed into the tree and it fell down. Nananom performed rituals and used a chainsaw to trim it, and it germinated again. It is that regrown branch which was windsnapped due to the heavy downpour.”
Mr Buah reassured the community that the core stump of the legendary tree remains intact at the site, preserving its cultural and historical significance to the Asante people.
“The stump is there, but it’s the branch that has snapped and broken down,” he said, adding, “So, this morning, Nana Obiri Komfo Anokye Boakye and his traditional elders met to perform rituals and have cut the part that fell and kept it in Baamu.”
He, therefore, expressed optimism that the tree would regrow to preserve its historical significance.
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