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Tag: Golden Stool

  • The royals who could have been Asantehene

    The royals who could have been Asantehene

    In February 1999, as the Asante Kingdom mourned the passing of Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the stage was set for the selection of a new custodian of the Golden Stool.

    The process of choosing the next Asantehene was marked by anticipation, complex traditions, and the careful consideration of various candidates.

    These contenders, hailing from diverse professions and backgrounds, each carried their own unique stories and legacies, as highlighted by the Asante Kingdom on TikTok.

    Below is the list of personalities who were in the running for this prestigious position:

    Barima Kwaku Duah (Otumfuo Osei Tutu II):
    A successful businessman who would eventually ascend as Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Barima Kwaku Duah was well-positioned to become the 16th Asantehene. His business acumen and profound knowledge of Asante customs solidified his status as the favored candidate, leading to his eventual selection.

    Nana Akwasi Agyeman:
    As the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Nana Akwasi Agyeman was a significant figure in the region. His administrative expertise and deep-rooted connections within the Asante Kingdom made him a strong contender for the throne.

    Barima Osei Tutu:
    A fuel dealer by trade, Barima Osei Tutu was another prominent candidate. His business endeavors and strong ties to the community earned him considerable respect, making him a serious contender during the selection process.

    Dr. David Osei Yeboah:
    A quantity surveyor by profession, Dr. David Osei Yeboah brought a distinct perspective to the table. His analytical abilities and methodical approach to problem-solving were seen as valuable assets that could have served the Asante Kingdom well.

    Dr. James Yeboah:
    As a medical doctor, Dr. James Yeboah embodied a blend of tradition and modernity. His commitment to health and wellness was regarded as a vital quality that could guide the kingdom through both physical and spiritual challenges.

    Dr. Thomas Prempeh:
    A British civil servant with roots in the Asante Kingdom, Dr. Thomas Prempeh offered a unique outlook on governance and leadership. His international experience suggested he could bring a fresh approach to the time-honored traditions of the Asante Kingdom.

    In the end, Barima Kwaku Duah was chosen, and on April 26, 1999, he ascended to the Golden Stool, adopting the esteemed title of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

    His reign has been distinguished by a steadfast dedication to preserving the cultural heritage of the Asante Kingdom.

  • Watch how the Asanteman Golden Stool was displayed at Manhyia

    Watch how the Asanteman Golden Stool was displayed at Manhyia

    The revered Gold Stool, known locally as ‘sikadwa‘ and revered as the embodiment of the Asante Kingdom’s spirit, made a rare appearance on Sunday, May 12, 2024.

    Its unveiling took place during the grand durbar of Asanteman’s chiefs and people, marking the 25th anniversary of the Asantehene’s coronation.

    This decision to publicly display the Gold Stool added a profound sense of magnificence to the anniversary celebration.

    According to oral tradition, the Gold Stool was conjured from the heavens by the esteemed fetish priest, Komfo Anokye, some 400 years ago during the kingdom’s infancy.

    The event drew distinguished guests, including President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Bawumia, First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, and Samira Bawumia, the Vice President’s spouse, alongside other prominent figures from Ghana.

    Internationally, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley, and his wife honored the occasion with their presence at the Manhyia Palace. Also, the representation of King Mohammed VI of Morocco added to the event’s prestige.

    The attendance of chiefs from South Africa, Nigeria, and other esteemed traditional leaders highlighted the event’s significance.

    Security was understandably tight throughout, ensuring the safeguarding and proper presentation of the sacred Gold Stool.

    Watch video below:

  • My wife is understanding and a great pillar to me – Otumfuo

    My wife is understanding and a great pillar to me – Otumfuo

    The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, attests to the saying that behind every successful man stands a strong and wise woman.

    He elaborated in an interview on how his queen, Lady Julia, has been instrumental in his reign as a monarch.

    During the commemoration of his 20-year reign on the Golden Stool, the Asantehene, in an exclusive interview with Graphic Online, delineated the sacrifices and roles his queen, Lady Julia, undertook to ensure his success.

    Despite the weighty responsibilities of his position as occupant of the Golden Stool, which limit his time with his family, Lady Julia remains steadfastly supportive, serving as an extraordinary pillar to him, as stated by the Asantehene himself.

    “My wife is an extraordinary pillar. Being Asantehene is demanding, and you need to have a wife who understands you,” remarked the Asantehene.

    He further noted, “The only day that I have some time to attend to my family is Saturday, but even then, people sometimes come to my residence for various reasons.”

    Lady Julia is actively involved in ceremonial duties as the wife of the Asantehene and spearheads several projects initiated by the Manhyia Palace. Among these endeavors are:

    Serwaa Ampem Foundation:
    Lady Julia leads the Serwaa Ampem Foundation, a non-governmental organization named after Otumfuo’s late mother, the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II. The foundation focuses on children infected with HIV/AIDS and family planning. It operates under the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Charity Foundation (OOCTF), where Lady Julia chairs the Board of Trustees.

    Otumfuo Mobile Dental Project and Serwaa Ampem Orphanage of Wheels:
    Under Lady Julia’s guidance, the Serwaa Ampem Foundation has established the Otumfuo Mobile Dental Project and the Serwaa Ampem Orphanage of Wheels. These initiatives provide vehicles to transport health professionals to villages for dental services for the local populace and orphans, all at no cost. According to recent reports, over 150,000 children and young people have benefited from these initiatives.

    Advocacy for disease prevention programs:
    Lady Julia actively advocates for healthcare promotion, particularly in disease prevention programs such as HIV, tuberculosis, immunization, and malaria. She collaborates with organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, and the Ghana Health Service to pioneer work in Mother-to-Child Prevention of HIV. This includes sensitization workshops for 560 traditional leaders and community durbars in the Ashanti and former Brong Ahafo Regions.

  • You can’t touch Asanteman “so far as the Golden Stool remains” – Otumfuo declares

    You can’t touch Asanteman “so far as the Golden Stool remains” – Otumfuo declares

    Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has issued a warning to individuals with intentions that could harm the Asante people, according to a report by opemsuo.com, affiliated with Manhyia.

    Addressing attendees at the Kuntunkuni Durbar held at the Manhyia Palace, Otumfuo reiterated Asanteman’s historical status as an independent entity predating modern Ghana.

    He recounted the resilience demonstrated by Asanteman during the Sagrenti War of 1874, highlighting the kingdom’s unwavering spirit.

    Furthermore, Otumfuo emphasised the significance of the Golden Stool as a symbol of Asanteman’s strength, stating that it encapsulates the essence of the kingdom’s soul.

    “Asante is alive. 150 years ago, the whites destroyed this city, but the Golden Stool remained untouched. So far as the Golden Stool remains, no one can touch Asanteman. It is the soul of Asanteman, and Nananom used their blood to protect it,” he declared.

    He continued, “You will be overcome if you decide to take out Asante. All those who plot against the kingdom must stop. We live here in love. Politicians must know that power is transient. Use love to rule. If you rely on your power, remember that your time will end soon.”

    He asserted that Asanteman has always been welcoming and home to various ethnic groups.

    “The Zongos are on our land; we live in peace. Ewes are here, and we have Anloga here, as well as Fantes in New Town. Why is our love being reciprocated with hatred? Let’s be united,” urged Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

    He added, “All political parties must know that without Asante, Ghana cannot stand. We are not above anyone; we are equals but I won’t allow anyone to cheat us,” he added.

    According to a report from opemsuo.com, affiliated with Manhyia, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has issued a stern warning to individuals with intentions harmful to the Asante people.

    Addressing attendees at the Kuntunkuni Durbar held at the Manhyia Palace, Otumfuo emphasised the historical sovereignty of Asanteman, predating the establishment of modern-day Ghana.

    Drawing upon Asanteman’s rich history, he highlighted the unwavering resilience displayed during the Sagrenti War of 1874.

    Otumfuo further emphasised the formidable strength of Asanteman, symbolised by the revered Golden Stool, which he described as embodying the essence of the kingdom’s spirit.

    “Asante is alive. 150 years ago, the whites destroyed this city, but the Golden Stool remained untouched. So far as the Golden Stool remains, no one can touch Asanteman. It is the soul of Asanteman, and Nananom used their blood to protect it,” he declared.

    He continued, “You will be overcome if you decide to take out Asante. All those who plot against the kingdom must stop. We live here in love. Politicians must know that power is transient. Use love to rule. If you rely on your power, remember that your time will end soon.”

    He asserted that Asanteman has always been welcoming and home to various ethnic groups.

    “The Zongos are on our land; we live in peace. Ewes are here, and we have Anloga here, as well as Fantes in New Town. Why is our love being reciprocated with hatred? Let’s be united,” urged Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

    He added, “All political parties must know that without Asante, Ghana cannot stand. We are not above anyone; we are equals but I won’t allow anyone to cheat us,” he added.

  • Asantehene recalls how his uncle donated land for the Kumasi Central Mosque in 1954

    Asantehene recalls how his uncle donated land for the Kumasi Central Mosque in 1954

    The history of the site on which the Kumasi Central Mosque was built in 1954 has been provided by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

    In his address at the opening of the renovated facility on February 3, 2023; the Asantehene recounted that it took his uncle Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyemang Prempeh II to identify a plight of the growing Muslim population and move to address same.

    The only mosque for Friday prayers at the time had outgrown the Muslim population and worshipers were lined up outside the facility when the then Otumfuo was being driven by.

    “The history of the (Kumasi Central) Mosque underscores the empathy between the Golden Stool and the Muslim community. The first Mosque was built in 1905 on land in front of the palace of the Sarikin Zongo (Zongo Chief) overlooking the Zongo Police station.

    “It remained the only mosque in Kumasi used for Friday prayers until 1954. It is said that on a Friday in 1954, my uncle Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyemang Prempeh II was driven past Asawase and saw the multitude of Muslims laying their prayer mats on dusty roads around the Mosque for their Friday prayers.

    “Back at Manhyia, he summoned the Sarikin Zango Ahmad Baba and offered him a vast plot of land at Asawase for the building of a fitting mosque to accommodate the growing Muslim population,” he detailed.

    He continued with how the said land was later swapped and the unintended political consequences that resulted:

    “City planning considerations later led to the plot at Asawase being swapped for a new site at North Zongo, with the former becoming the Asawase market.

    “In the febrile political atmosphere of the time, this noble gesture of the Asantehene was twisted and interpreted as an attempt to mobilise the Zongo community against the Government.

    “It led to the deportation of Ahmad’s Baba and other Muslim leaders and subsequent acts which literally amounted to the seizure of the assets of Asanteman,” he lamented.

    Otumfuo, Chief Imam grace reopening of renovated Kumasi Central Mosque

    The Asantehene was in attendance Friday, March 3, 2023; when the newly reconstructed mosque was inaugurated.

    Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, handed over the facility whose expansion he financed, to the Mosque’s committee after it was commissioned amidst excitement.

    The commissioning ceremony was graced by the Asantehene along with the national Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu and a host of distinguished dignitaries including Ministers, MPs, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, regional Imams, Zongo Chiefs, as well as top Muslim and Christian clerics.

    The arrival of the Asantehene to the grounds in a video shared by Manyhia-owned Opensuo TV showed the respected chief moving from his palace to the venue with a fleet of cars amid police escort.

    He is in his usual flashy black saloon vehicle with the flag of the Ashanti State and upon arrival at the venue is met by his royal retinue as well as some of the other invited guests at the premises.

    The mosque was officially commissioned by the Vice President, the Chief Imam and the Asantehene in time for Jummah (Friday congregational) prayers.

  • Prempeh I: The 26-year King who protected the Ashanti sovereignty

    After giving up the throne and being taken into custody in 1896, Asantehene Prempeh I spent 24 years in exile in the Seychelles.

    Prempeh I, who was born Prince Kwaku Dua III in 1870, became the 13th ruler to sit on the Golden Stool when he was 18 years old. After taking the throne, he launched a vigorous effort to protect Ashanti sovereignty.

    At the time, the British led by Queen Victoria had offered to take the Kingdom of Ashanti under their protection, but Prempeh I refused to grant their request.

    He told the British as quoted in a Ghanaian museum reportage, “my Kingdom of Asante will never commit itself to any such policy of protection; Ashanti people and the Kingdom of Ashanti must remain an independent sovereign state as of old, and at the same time be friends with all white men.”

    Offended by the response of Prempeh, the British Governor is reported to have demanded reparations (fines of 50,000 ounces of gold levied on the Asantehene, the Ashanti emperor, by the Treaty of Fomena) which was agreed by Otumfuo Nana Kofi Karikari in the third Anglo-Ashanti War which occurred from 1873 to 1874 which the Asantes lost to the British for the first time.

    Prempeh I, then sent a delegation to London to negotiate the demands with Queen Victoria. The delegates from the Kingdom included its military commander.

    The negotiations from the delegation did not yield any result, therefore, the British decided to capture and annex the entire Empire. The war started on the pretext of failure to pay the reparations. Colonel Sir Francis Scott left Cape Coast along with the British and Indian Troops in December 1895 and arrived in Kumasi in January 1896. Major Robert Baden-Powell led an army of African allies who had opposed Ashanti rule.

    Prempeh I, who wanted peace, agreed to be captured and exiled to prevent an unprepared war and to protect the Golden Stool.

    Prempeh I, the Queen Mother, and other important members of the Asante elite were taken prisoner and marched to the coast. On arrival, they were kept for a year at Elmina Castle but were eventually exiled firstly to Sierra Leone and then later to the Seychelles Islands.

    Prempeh I was kept at a suite of apartments in the castle. On his door, however, he had an inscription boldly written “Prempeh Room”.

    In a tweet on August 11, The Asante Nation wrote: “the British and their African allies were doing everything possible to break the Asante Kingdom into pieces by exiling our King. Little did the Queen of Britain, Victoria, know that she was fighting a 26-year-old King. Out of embarrassment, they wrote that he was 40 years.”

    Prempeh I arrived in Seychelles Islands on Tuesday, September 11, 1900; accompanied by 52 other prisoners, among them were his mother, his father, his brother and his three wives.

    He stayed in exile in Seychelles for 24 years before the British allowed him to return to Kumasi as a private citizen.

    On September 13, 1924, Prempeh and 49 others were reported to have left Seychelles, SS Karoa for Bombay. The oldest among them was the ex-chief, James Asafu Boachie. He was 96-years-old. The youngest was a three months old baby girl, Rose Amah Apia, daughter of Kojo Apia (1831-1911) ex-chief of Kumasi.

    There were also some 13 original deportees, who were with Prempeh. On September 22, 1924, they left Bombay and travelled to Liverpool. The party left Liverpool on October 29, 1924. On Tuesday, November 11, 1924, Prempeh and his delegation arrived in Ghana [Gold Coast] without James Prempeh, his son and his Seychellois wife, Marie-Francoise Auguste. The couple remained in Seychelles.

    Prempeh I died on May 12, 1931, and was succeeded by his heir apparent Prempeh II.

     

    Source: Ghanaweb