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Sampa is a town in the
Bono Region The Bono region is one of the 16 administrative regions of Ghana. It is as a result of the remainder of Brong-Ahafo region when Bono East region and Ahafo Region, Ahafo region were created. Sunyani, also known as the green city of Ghana, is the r ...
of
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
, on the
border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...
with
Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...
. It is the capital of Jaman North District and was formerly the site of a
slave market A slave market is a place where slaves are bought and sold. These markets are a key phenomenon in the history of slavery. Asia Central Asia Since antiquity, cities along the Silk road of Central Asia, had been centers of slave trade. In ...
. It was also the capital of the Akan State of Gyaaman in the late 15th century. It is the largest border town in Ghana with a population of over 36,000. It is the principal town of the Nafana ethnic group. It is the leading producer of cashews in Ghana.


Name

The name Sampa is believed to have originated from three words in the Nafaara language, also recognized as a branch of the Senufo languages spoken in northern Côte d'Ivoire, southeastern Mali, western Burkina Faso, and northwestern Ghana. The Nafaara/Senufo people are thought to trace their origins to the ancient Songhai Empire region and along the civilization of ancient Kush. The word Sampa, as commonly recounted, is derived from a combination of three words: Seh (Go), Mm (and), and Pah (Come). When these are combined, they form the sound Sempa, which eventually evolved into the town's name, Sampa, meaning "go and come." Another oral tradition attributes the name to a warrior named Sah. According to Nafaara customs, second-born males are often given the name Sah. This warrior, Sah, left for war and was absent for many years. One day, he finally returned, and upon seeing him, the townspeople exclaimed to one another, Sah Pah, meaning "Sah is back." Over time, this phrase became associated with the town, ultimately giving it its present sound name, Sampa. Sampa was previously known as Sikasoko in the Abono (Akan original language), meaning "gold powder", referring to the abundant gold in the area in the past. In the 1890s, when the British and French colonialists established a boundary between their territories, Sikasoko was then the headquarters of the Northwestern Ashanti. Before Sunyani became the capital of the Northwestern Ashanti in 1906, Sampa had served as capital of the district, which comprised Jaman, Wenchi, Techiman, Berekum, Wam ( Dormaa), Ahafo, Odumasi and Sunyani.


History

The most recent account of the Nafaara people of Sampa suggests that they initially settled in Kakala before eventually establishing their final settlement in Sampa leaving behind a group of their kin in Kakala, a village in the northern part of Côte d'Ivoire. Their migration was necessitated by the disruptions caused by the trans-Saharan trade, which brought brutal invasions and widespread destruction to communities in the south. This turmoil forced the people to split and migrate northward in safety. Two notable leaders led their journey, Tolee Sie Nyonogboo and Tolee Kra Longo. When they arrived at the Tambi area, the chief of Jamera invited them to help fight the Klolosa tribe in the neighborhood. Sie Nyonogboo asked Kra Longo and his team to pass through the Banda hills while he and his team took the west direction. It took Sie Nyonogboo and his men a relatively short time to conquer the Klolosa army around the present-day Debibi and Namasa area. After the war, a parcel of land being occupied by the chiefs and people of Sampa today was offered as a reward for their role in the war and to further prevent the Klolosa people from attacking Jamera. The elders of Sampa explain that during the Trans-Saharan trade period, merchants from the south used to ply the main route that passed through Sampa to northern Africa. When they arrived at Sampa, they met the indigenes who wore cloth, a practice which was not common at the time. The merchants preferred to say they were traveling to the land of the cloth-wearing people (Firantoma foɔ), instead of the specific name of their destination. The word 'Firantoma foɔ' has been corrupted to 'Fantra foɔ' by their
Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
neighbours, though the people of Sampa find the name 'Fantra foɔ' as pejorative. Sampa served also as an important centre during the
slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...
era. Bones of the countless slaves that were dumped in a mass grave are still visible at a spot in the nearby town of Jenini. Other items of historical interest in Sampa include the bungalows of the expatriate administrators, a ruined chapel of the
Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...
and a cemetery of the colonial administrators with tombs dating back to the 19th century.


Festivals

Sumgbɛɛ and Dwobofie are the two largest annual festivals of the royal stool of Sampa. The former is commemorated in late June or early July to honour the lives and works of the forefathers and mothers. In September, Dwobofie is held to celebrate the beginning of the new yam season. Eating yam before the celebration is forbidden for the paramount chief. The name "Sumgbεε" is derived from the Nafaanra language. It is a corrupted word originating from "sro mgbεε." In Nafaanra, "sro" means food, and "mgbεε" means bad. The festival revolves around the concept of presenting the gods with "bad yams," "spoiled yams," or "old yams," symbolising the previous harvest, and seeking their blessings for an abundant harvest of new yams. The Sumgbεε Festival holds great cultural and agricultural significance for the Nafana people of Sampa. It serves as a way for the community to express gratitude for past harvests and seek divine blessings for the upcoming agricultural season. Highlights of the festival include collecting foodstuffs from traders at the Sampa market, capturing stray domestic fowls in the township, a youth wrestling competition, and delivering fire logs to the chief's palace. The youth wrestling event celebrates the warrior spirit of the Nafana people, as a reminder of how their ancestors prepared for the challenges of war. The logs hold a special purpose—they are burned overnight under the guidance of the Gyasehene. The Gyasehene, whose title derives from "Gyase," meaning "kitchen," is entrusted with the responsibility of igniting the fire. The flames will continue to burn for an entire week until the following week, symbolising the essence of the festival. The Nafana people believe that the direction of the smoke when the fire is extinguished reveals what the upcoming year holds for farmers and their harvest.


Education

There are a number of senior high and technical schools within Sampa and its environs. These include Nafana Presby Senior High, which is considered one of Ghana's best second cycle institutions. St. Ann's Senior High School, Our Lady of Fatima Technical Institute, Maranatha Business Senior High School, Diamono Senior High, and Duadaso No. 1 Senior High/Technical School are among the others. Sampa Nurses' Training College is the only tertiary institution located in Sampa.


Health

Sampa is served by the Sampa Government Hospital and Fountain Care Hospital, both of which contribute to nursing education at the Sampa Nurses' Training College. The town is also served by a number of health clinics.


Economy

Agriculture, commerce, industrialisation, and service are Sampa's main economic activities. Sampa was a slave market place in Africa during the Atlantic slave trade, and it is now a cashew market center in Ghana. In Sampa, cashew buyers and purchasers from India and Vietnam have warehouses. Cashew nuts are transported to Sampa before being shipped to Tema for export by these enterprises' merchants in Bole, Wenchi, Dormaa, Techiman, Banda, and neighboring Côte d'Ivoire. Mondays are considered market days in Sampa. The Sampa Market is one of the largest in the Bono Region, with foreigners from Côte d'Ivoire and other parts of the country buying and selling goods.


Notable people

*
Siaka Stevens Siaka Probyn Stevens (24 August 1905 – 29 May 1988) was the leader of Sierra Leone from 1967 to 1985, serving as Prime Minister from 1967 to 1971 and as President from 1971 to 1985. Stevens' leadership was often characterized by patrimonial ...
* Frederick Yaw Ahenkwah


References

{{Ghana district capitals Ghana–Ivory Coast border crossings Populated places in the Bono Region