Is Asantehene Courting Ashantis Through Historic Visits and Celebrations?

Within the last six months, from October 2014 until today, 2 May 2015, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Ceremonial Head of Asanteman, has been embarking on long awaited historic visits, and organising traditional celebrations, all in attempts to woo the currently peeved Asantes or members of Asanteman.

He has been to the birth place of the legendary fetish priest, Okomfo Anokye in Awukugua-Akuapim, in the Eastern region on Saturday 18 October 2014. He has celebrated the 80^th anniversary of the restoration of the Asante Confederacy in 1935. At a durbar of chiefs held at his Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Saturday 31 January 2015 to mark 80 years of the restoration of the Asante Confederacy, he publicly displayed the Golden Stool, the embodiment of Asanteman unity.

His sole motive behind bringing out the Golden Stool was to remind the Asanteman paramount chiefs (Amanhene) of their sworn allegiance to defend the unity of Asanteman and the integrity of the occupant of the Golden Stool at any day any time. Readers will bear me out that the Asante Overlord, actually a Ceremonial Head, according to my extensive history research, has for sometime now been bemoaning the fact that the Asanteman Amanhene have not been defending him against the media ridicule he has lately been subjected to.

On Wednesday 22 April 2015, he made a historic visit to Seychelles Island as the guest of honour for the then upcoming fifth annual Carnival International de Victoria. It must be noted by readers that Otumfuo Agyemang Prempeh I, the Great uncle of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was captured in 1896 by the British Colonial masters, exiled to Sierra Leone and then finally to Seychelles.

With all these latest developments in the life of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, once in private life as Mr Kwaku Duah, a fellow Londoner or “London burger” and a former “Canadian burger”, the public expect him to climax it with a maiden visit to CANADA. Can he do that? Many a Ghanaian, especially his once fellow “Canadian burgers”, will love to see him make that trip.

All his undertakings so far are to endear him to the public because of the setbacks he has recently suffered at the hands of some Kumawuman citizens for his despicable role played in the alleged enstoolment of one Dr Yaw Sarfo as the Omanhene of Kumawu.

If it is to re-establish his tattered integrity or image in the eyes of his very own Asanteman subjects, and especially Kumawuman citizens, then I am afraid his attempts are so far much ado about nothing; they are like a drop of water in the mighty ocean. He had better withdraw his alleged overlordship role he is playing in the Kumawu stool dispute. He has not the mandate to play that role contrary to the view expressed, and the support given to him in that direction, by one James, an alleged principal member of the Kumawu Ankaase family.

He can try to woo the people, he will never succeed until he realises his position in Asanteman and plays his role accordingly. Kumawuman is greater at any given time than a sitting Asantehene. Asantehene will come and go, but Kumawuman shall remain. I am talking in proverbs here.

I have to go because the bad news has just been broken to me on the demise of one of my best friends in Kumawu, Mr Frank Agyemang (Kwabena Hene), the Youth Employment Co-ordinator at Kumawu District Office. Kwabena, may your soul rest in perfect peace. Tell Nananom at “asamado” (underworld) about the onerous direction of the Kumawu chieftaincy affairs.

Rockson Adofo