The Asante Kingdom consists of 33 traditional areas and is headed by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Within Kumasi, which is the capital of the Asante Kingdom, Asafo is one of the four divisions within the capital. Asafo serves paramouncy within Kumasi and the chief is the Akwamuhene for Otumfuo Asantehene. The word Asafo is derived from the twi words “sa”, meaning war, and “fo” meaning people. The people of Asafo are, therefore, one of the main traditional warrior groups in Asante Kingdom and their traditional role was to defend the state.
Asafo holds a very unique position in the Asante Kingdom, as it is one of few stools where chiefs ascend to the ancestral stool, Awere Adwatia paternally, whereas other stools in Asante are maternal. The Asafo stool has no Queen Mother, but it is the head of family of heirs to the throne Mmamahene who assists in Asafohene on matters relating to the stool and welfare of the broader Asona family heirs.
In the mid-16th Century, a group of Asona people after losing a number of their family members in wars decided to flee from Denkyira Ayanfuri to seek refuge at a safe and peaceful place far away from Denkyira. The group consisted of five males and a female, which was led by Nana Kwadwo Betia, came to Kwamang in the Asante Kingdom to seek refuge. Among the group that migrated from Ayanfuri were Nana Awere and Obaapanin Boa Takora, who were siblings to Nana Kwadwo Betia. Nana Awere and his sister, Boa Takora were very instrumental in bringing other migrants of Asona descent together to Asafo when they came to Kwamang.
The chief of Kwamang, Nana Kwabia Amanfi, received this Asona group with open arms and gave them a place to settle at a location near the present-day Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Offices. Due to the marshy nature of the place, Nana Kwadwo Betia and the family decided to look for a suitable place to farm. The most suitable place they found for farms activities was at Atwima Darko. Part of the Asona Group originally from Denkyira settled at Atwima Darko and the rest came to Kwamang. Obaapanin Boa Takora got married to Nana Oti Akenten and gave birth to two sons – Agyei Twum and Asafo Boaten.
After the death of Nana Kwadwo Betia, he was succeeded by his brother Asafo Awere during the reign of Nana Oti Akenten – Chief of Kwamang. It was through the hard work of Nana Asafo Awere that the Asafo stool – Awere Adwatia was created. Asafo Awere was succeeded by his nephew Agyei Twum I after his death