Asantehene’s Silver Jubilee Month Finally Arrives
On 26th April 1999, the kingmakers swore in a young man, and the momentous occasion ushered him to occupy one of the most significant traditional stools and to wear one of the most prestigious badges in chieftaincy.
Then in his forties, and pulled from obscurity, his metier unknown, the young man was thought to be faced with a responsibility that looked heavier than he could carry.
The 49-year-old exuded a gentle spirit, symbolic of a platter looking too brittle for the weight on its top. He was the latest torchbearer of the all-powerful Ashanti Kingdom that prides itself on its rich history.
An antecedent that is not equaled anywhere. The Ashantis conquered the British Colonial Forces in the battle of 1824 and as proof of their might, produced the severed head of Sir Charles MaCarthy, Governor of the conquistadors, to employ a word used to describe the invasive styles of the Spanish and the Portuguese in the pre-colonial era.
That, and many other firsts chalked up by his ancestral kith and kin subtly conferred or imposed a warrior title on Barima Kwaku Duah, a gentle soul made to roar like a lion. Subsequently, he proved the firepower in him.
The totem of Ashantis the porcupine has quills that protect it from predation and proclaims the King’s invincibility. Out of the protective cover, the King fights on behalf of the people and this is a war on poverty to ensure the people are well-secured on all fronts.
His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II deepened the redefinition of the warrior-king by putting in place all necessary mechanisms to make for the convenience of his subjects in education, health, commerce, transport and hospitality infrastructure, and direct humanitarian services. These in addition to his wisdom, skill, and other leadership qualities are the basis for his global acclamation and pilgrimage to Manhyia Palace in Kumasi by people from all over the globe to pay him homage and to tap from his ideas.
Hydra-headed conflicts that defied political solutions are unraveled by the King. An example was the almost intractable Dagbon crisis which followed the 2002 regicide in Yendi in Northern Ghana.
Flying the flag called ”Culture of Peace,” the Asantehene was invited to the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York to share his ideas on the subject matter of using traditional means to resolve conflicts.
The King of Ashantis (Asantehene) is inundated with commendations by former and serving Heads of State, dignitaries, and even the parties to conflicts in Ghana who smoked the peace pipe under his guidance.
These are only the tips of the iceberg as far as the items that have arrived on the royal plate for the past 25 years are concerned. Rich cultural display in the offing as Kumasi prepares for the Grand Durbar of the King’s Silver Jubilee Celebrations on April 26, 2024.