Nana Kuntunkunuku II (born Alexander Kwadwo Fredua Agyeman 22 February 1942 – 17 March 1999) was a traditional ruler in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

and

Paramount Chief A paramount chief is the English-language designation for the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a chief-based system. This term is used occasionally in anthropological and arch ...

of Akyem-Abuakwa in the Eastern Region. His official title was Okyehene - King of Akyem. He was the seventh president of the

National House of Chiefs The National House of Chiefs is the highest body in Ghana that unites all traditional rulers, chiefs and kings. The institution has backing from the Constitution of Ghana. Membership The various rulers of Ghana's numerous tribes and clans automati ...

and served from 1998 to 1999. He succeeded Nana Ofori Atta III who was his uncle and ruled the

Akyem The Akyem are an Akan people. The term Akyem (Akem, Akim or Aki) is used to describe a group of four states: Asante Akyem, Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Kotoku and Akyem Bosome. These nations are located primarily in the eastern region in south Ghana. ...

s for 23 years. He was succeeded by Nana Amoatia Ofori Panin II.

Early life

Fredua Agyeman was born on 22 February 1942, at Kyebi to Samuel Joseph Okoampa Agyeman and Juliana Abena Akoto In 1957, he entered

Prempeh College Prempeh College is a public secondary boarding school for boys located in Kumasi, the capital city of the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The school was founded in 1949 by the Asanteman traditional authority, the British Colonial Government, the Metho ...

and obtained his GCE Ordinary level Certificate in 1961. He was a member of the pioneering sixth form class of the

Accra Academy Accra Academy is a Non-denominational Christianity, non-denominational Day School, day and Boarding School, boarding Single-sex education, boys' school. It is located at Bubuashie near Kaneshie in the Greater Accra Region. The school was establishe ...

between 1961 and 1962. His training as a medical doctor begun at the

Sofia University Sofia University, "St. Kliment Ohridski" at the University of Sofia, ( bg, Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски“, ''Sofijski universitet „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“'') is the oldest higher education i ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

and was continued at the

Charles University ) , image_name = Carolinum_Logo.svg , image_size = 200px , established = , type = Public, Ancient , budget = 8.9 billion CZK , rector = Milena Králíčková , faculty = 4,057 , administrative_staff = 4,026 , students = 51,438 , undergr ...

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, Czechoslovakia where he graduated in 1970.

Career

In 1972, he practiced medicine at the

Korle-Bu Hospital Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is a public teaching hospital located in the Ablekuma South Metropolitan District in Accra, Ghana. It is the only public tertiary hospital in the southern part of the country. It is a teaching hospital affiliated ...

on his return to Ghana. In 1974, he joined the Ridge Hospital in

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

. He worked as well in the Castle Clinic and was medical officer in charge of the Stadium Clinic in Accra. In 1976, he was selected as King of Akyem Abuakwa. He was installed on August 2, 1976, as the 34th occupant of the Ofori Panin Stool at the age of 34. As chief, he tried to encourage investors, mostly foreign, to start businesses on Akyem lands and in Ghana, travelling and having meetings in western

European nations Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. Between 1994 and 1998 he served two terms as president of the Eastern regional House of Chiefs. He served as the chairman of the lands committee of the national house of chiefs. He served as representative of the Eastern regional House of chiefs to the Constituent Assembly which drafted the Ghanaian constitution in 1992. He was a member of the Eastern regional coordinating Council. In 1998 he was elected president of the National House of Chiefs and became a member of the council of state.

Personal life

He was married and left behind 6 children. He had a wife and children from 3 previous marriages.

Death

He died on Wednesday, March 17 at dawn after a short illness at

37 Military Hospital The 37 Military Hospital is a specialist hospital located in Accra, on the main road between the Kotoka International Airport and central Accra. It is the largest military hospital in the Republic of Ghana after the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The ...

Legacies

During his reign, there was an increase in the number of educational institutions in the Akyem Abukwa Traditional area. He also established some second-cycle schools in the Atiwa Constituency. Abuakwa Constituency also had some second-cycle schools established there. He also established gold mines in the traditional area his reign. He also listened to complains of the people in some surrounding villages about the environmental problem caused by some gold mines. Surface gold mining led to the pollution of water bodies in those areas. He also elevated a number of Odikros or Care takers to paramountcy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuntunkunuku, Osagyefo, II Ghanaian leaders People from Eastern Region (Ghana) 1942 births 1999 deaths Ghanaian royalty Alumni of the Accra Academy