Azzu Mate Kole II
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Oklemekuku, Nene Azzu Mate Kole II, , known in private life as Frederick Lawer Mate Kole (January 1910 – 15 March 1990) was a
Ghanaian The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Gold Coast (region), Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of ...
paramount chief A paramount chief is the English-language designation for a king or queen or the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a Chiefdom, chief-based system. This term is used occasionally ...
and statesman who served as the fourth monarch or king, Konor of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area in southeastern Ghana and reigned from 1939 to 1990.


Early life and education

Mate Kole was born in January 1910 to Nene Sir
Emmanuel Mate Kole Emmanuel Mate Kole or Nene Sir Azzu Mate Kole I, (1860 in Krobo Odumase – 1939) was the third '' Konor'', or paramount chief, of the Manya Krobo from 1892 until his death in 1939. He was succeeded by his son, Nene Azzu Mate Kole II, who rul ...
who ruled the Manya Krobo Traditional Area between 1892 and 1939. He attended
Basel Mission The Basel Mission is a Christianity, Christian missionary society based in Switzerland. It was active from 1815 to 2001, when it transferred the operative work to , the successor organization of ''Kooperation Evangelischer Kirchen und Missione'' ...
/
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
primary and middle schools. He then went to
Achimota College Achimota School ( /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. The school ...
near
Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) 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, , had a population of ...
for his secondary education. From there, he went to the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and enrolled in the Police College, passing out at a record rank of
Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
in 1936, three years before his enthronement as chief. After his education, he enlisted in the Gold Coast Police Force and quickly rose through the ranks to attain the position of
Assistant Superintendent Assistant superintendent, or assistant superintendent of police (ASP), is a rank that was used by police forces in the British Empire and is still used in many police forces in the Commonwealth. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held ...
of Police (ASP).


Chieftaincy and socioeconomic initiatives

Mate Kole was enstooled Konor of Manya Krobo on 22 June 1939 at the age of twenty-nine to succeed his late father who had just passed away. Mate Kole was then a police officer stationed at Mampong Akwapim. As chief, Mate Kole played a leading role in the socioeconomic development of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area. As chieftain, he was instrumental in the establishment o
Manya Krobo Secondary School (MAKROSEC)
as replacement of the Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC) which had been relocated in 1968 from Odumase-Krobo to its current Legon campus at Accra. As a member of the Government's Central Advisory Committee on Education, he operationalized its recommendations which led to the establishment of fifteen Akro State Schools in several villages in Kroboland. He was aided by R. P Djabanor. The Akro State Schools later became the
Asesewa Asesewa is a small town and the district capital of Upper Manya Krobo district in the Eastern region of southern Ghana. It is a historic trading post with a mix of cultures from all over Ghana. It is located about from the regional capital of Ea ...
Senior High School in the Upper Manya Krobo District and the Akro Senior High School in Odumase Lower Manya Krobo Municipality. The other schools in the Akro State system were absorbed into the public system as government-assisted institutions. As a progressive chief, he also championed girl-child education in 1950s and 1960s when there were huge disparities in female enrollment in schools due to cultural factors. He also established a state scholarship scheme for students from the Manya Krobo district. As an advocate of formal education and communal self-help, he organised the administrative state machinery and established the stool treasury which became the revenue collection system for Manya Krobo. Within three years, it was recorded revenues had increased threefold. With increased revenue, the traditional state set up and ran its own transport services. More than twenty-five wells were dug at multiple locations in the town. This foresight helped town avert a crisis during an acute water shortage in 1947. Manya Krobo became a notable agricultural centre during Mate Kole's reign. He spearheaded the construction of bridges and feeder roads to link surrounding farming, production and principal market centres such as Abuachau, Akateng, Akotue,
Asesewa Asesewa is a small town and the district capital of Upper Manya Krobo district in the Eastern region of southern Ghana. It is a historic trading post with a mix of cultures from all over Ghana. It is located about from the regional capital of Ea ...
, Ehiamekyene, Osonson, Sekesua, Sisiamang, Sutapong. His efforts led to an appreciable increase in revenue from market tolls, farm size, tonnage of food crops assembled at the market centres. He enlisted the Army Field Engineers of the Gold Coast to construct bridges across the Akrum River at Abuachau and Mlegedu. The project, which cost £9,500, was paid from the Manya Krobo state treasury. In conjunction with the Office of the District Commissioner at Akuse, James Moxon, Mate Kole organised an Agricultural Show at Laasi, Odumase-Krobo in 1947. The expo was the biggest provincial show in that period and was attended by the Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Alan Burns together with merchants, manufacturers, indigenous and foreign farmers. In 1976, Nene Azzu Mate Kole II visited
Gerlingen Gerlingen (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Gaerlenge'') is a town in the Ludwigsburg (district), district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 9 km west of Stuttgart, and 15 km southwest of Ludwigsburg. Gerlingen is ...
in Germany, the hometown of Johannes Zimmermann (1825 –1876), a
philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also defined as the study of ...
,
linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
and
Basel Mission The Basel Mission is a Christianity, Christian missionary society based in Switzerland. It was active from 1815 to 2001, when it transferred the operative work to , the successor organization of ''Kooperation Evangelischer Kirchen und Missione'' ...
ary who translated the Bible into the
Ga language Ga is a Kwa language spoken in Ghana, in and around the capital Accra, by the Ga people. There are also some speakers in Togo, Benin and western Nigeria. It has a phonemic distinction between three vowel lengths. Classification Ga is a Kw ...
and published a grammar book. Zimmerman had lived in
Odumase Krobo Krobo Odumase is a town and capital of Lower Manya Krobo Municipal District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School was formerly located here. Prominent sites The town is a proposed site for the construction of ...
during his sojourn in colonial Ghana in the mid-nineteenth century.


Role in national development

He was appointed a member of the government's Central Advisory Committee on Education (1946–1951) and released stool lands for the establishment of the Mount Mary Training College and the University of Ghana's Agricultural Research Station at Kpong. From 1947 to 1954, he served on the
Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...
which later evolved into the National Assembly under the provisions in the Electoral College which gave representation to the Provincial Council of Chiefs. In 1948, he was part of the Gold Coast delegation to
Lancaster House Lancaster House (originally known as York House and then Stafford House) is a mansion on The Mall, London, The Mall in the St James's district in the West End of London. Adjacent to The Green Park, it is next to Clarence House and St James ...
in London which made a case to the British government for self-government. Other national committees he served on include: Blackhall Committee on Native Courts; the West African Institute of Science and Industry (1942–1945); University College of Ghana Council (1958–1960); the Wartime Economic Committee of the Gold Coast and management board member of the West African Cocoa Research Institute. He was the President of the Eastern Provincial Council of Chiefs (1947); Deputy Chairman of the Chieftaincy Secretariat (1966); and Chairman of the National Advisory Committee (1968). He had three stints as the chairman of the board of Governors of his alma mater,
Achimota School Achimota School (Help:IPA/English, /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra Reg ...
. Additionally, he was a key member in all the constitution drafting and approving bodies between 1949 and 1973. He was a member of the Coussey Committee on Constitutional Reforms. In 1969, he was the Deputy Speaker of the Blay Constituent Assembly which discussed and drafted the National Constitution of the Second Republic. In this role, he lobbied for the establishment 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 ...
as the mouth piece for traditional rulers in Ghana. He was involved with the ideation, planning and execution of the Volta River Project which led to the building of the
Akosombo Dam The Akosombo Dam, also known as the Volta Dam, is a Hydroelectricity, hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority. The construction of the dam flooded part of the Volta Riv ...
. Mate Kole was the first paramount chief appointed to first Board of Trustees of the
Volta River Authority The Volta River Authority (VRA) is the main generator and supplier of electricity in Ghana. They are also responsible for the maintenance of the hydro power supply plant. Establishment The VRA was established by the Volta River Development Act, ...
under the chairmanship of Ghana's first president,
Kwame Nkrumah Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...
, serving on the board for ten years. Years earlier in 1954, he played a role in the building of the Kpong Water Works that provided water treatment plants for the residents of Manya Krobo. Mate Kole was instrumental in the establishment of the
Ghana Cocoa Board The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is a Ghanaian government-controlled monopsony institution that fixes the buying price for cocoa in Ghana. Farmers are protected from the volatile prices on the world market through the price-fixing. Besides, the hig ...
. Specifically, he chaired the Joint Provincial Council of Chiefs Committee that looked at problems facing the Gold Coast cocoa industry, culminating in the publication of Mate Kole Report, the passage of the Cocoa Marketing Board Ordinance in 1947 and finally the establishment of the current Cocoa Marketing Board.


Personal life

Nene Azzu Mate Kole II was a member of the District Grand Lodge of Ghana under the
United Grand Lodge of England The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing Masonic lodge for the majority of freemasons in England, Wales, and the Commonwealth of Nations. Claiming descent from the Masonic Grand Lodge formed 24 June 1717 at the Goose & Gridiron ...
.


Honours and awards

In recognition of his contributions to the development of his hometown, Manya Krobo and the country, Mate Kole was accorded with several honours including the King's Medal for Chiefs (KMC) in 1942;
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in 1948; the
Order of the Volta The Order of the Volta is an order of merit from the Republic of Ghana. It was instituted in 1960 and is awarded to people for their outstanding service to the country.
(OV) in 1969;
Doctor of Law A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
(LLD
honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
), University of Ghana in 1975. In 1989, during the golden jubilee anniversary of his enthronement, the Manya Krobo state honoured him with highest traditional title of the land, ''"Oklemekuku"'', meaning ''"a great leader and an ancient fellow,"'' in appreciation of his contributions to the socioeconomic development of Manya Krobo in areas relating to education, agriculture, water and sanitation, road works and transport.


Death and legacy

Nene Azzu Mate Kole II died on 15 March 1990 of
natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinc ...
, not long after the golden jubilee celebrations of his enthronement as chieftain of Manya Krobo (1939–1989). In accordance with his native traditions, his funeral ceremony was held in 1992, which was attended by several Ghanaian dignitaries. On the silver jubilee of his death, a lecture on girl-child education was held in his memory at the Odumase Presbyterian Church at Odumase-Krobo. The lecture, chaired by the reigning monarch, Nene Sakite II, Konor of Manya Krobo was on the topic, ''"Oklemekuku Azzu Mate Kole: A great king and a statesman”''.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mate Kole, Azzu 1910 births 1990 deaths 20th-century monarchs in Africa Alumni of Achimota School Ga-Adangbe people Ghanaian Presbyterians Officers of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Order of the Volta Ghanaian Freemasons Ghanaian royalty