Last Thursday, April 26, 2018, marked 19 years of the coronation of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool and Asanteman will be counting the achievements he has chalked up since then.
He succeeded Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, who died on February 25, 1999.
It was a momentous occasion on that day, April 26, 1999, when the then 49-year-old, riding in a palanquin and wearing the "batarikese," the war-dress of the early Asante kings, entered a packed 60,000 capacity Baba Yara Stadium to rapturous cheers from Asantes and other well-wishers.
Before the coronation at the stadium, several rituals were performed in line with custom, including the swearing of the customary oath to the chiefs of the Kumasi Traditional Area at Dwabrem at the Manhyia Palace where he chose the stool name Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
At Dwabrem, he held the "Mponponsuo," (state sword) in his right hand, and with his kuntunkuni (black cloth) dropped to his waist, hailed the tradition and customs of his ancestors while pledging to follow the path they cut.
Initiatives
One of the early initiatives he undertook was the setting up of the Otumfuo Education Fund.
Having realised that financing education was a major challenge in his domain, the Asantehene instituted the scheme to complement government’s efforts to address the problem.
Today, thousands of young people, not only from Asanteman but also other parts of the country, have benefitted from the scheme, many of whom are working in responsible positions in Ghana and abroad.
In 2003 the World Bank, under its Promoting Partnerships with Traditional Authorities Project, gave a grant to the Asanteman Council for the implementation of community-based rural development projects and programmes.
It included the provision of educational infrastructure, fight against HIV and AIDS, income generation for the underprivileged and also enabled the Asantehene to sustain his cultural heritage programme.
It was the first time the World Bank collaborated with a traditional ruler to drive socio-economic change in the lives of his people.
The World Bank was impressed with the way various projects and programmes were implemented with the grant.
In recognition of Otumfuo’s immense contribution to education, particularly the institution of the Otumfuo Education Fund and his efforts to re-energise the chieftaincy institution, the University of Ghana conferred an honorary doctorate degree on him.
Chieftaincy disputes
Chieftaincy disputes, which were a source of concern in Asanteman, were given serious attention when Otumfuo Osei Tutu ascended the Golden Stool.
He ordered parties to all disputes pending in court to withdraw them for settlement in his court.
This went a long way to bring peace to many communities.
To date, chieftaincy disputes, no matter how serious they are, are settled in the Asantehene’s court rather than the law courts where the process is usually antagonistic.
The Asantehene has also been tough on chiefs who illegally sell lands to the detriment of their people and have destooled a number of them to serve as a deterrent to others.
On illegal mining, he has constantly warned his chiefs not to meddle in it or face destoolment.
These and many other initiatives at home made his people confer on him the accolade “King Solomon”.
He has also mediated in other national landmark chieftaincy disputes such as the prevailing Dagbon chieftaincy matters.
International arena
In the past 19 years, the Asantehene has performed a number of international engagements where he projected Ghana as the best place to do business in Africa.
For instance, in August 2016, he gave a lecture on Africa’s democratic advances and development at the British Houses of Parliament in London where he spoke on Africa’s democratic path and the search for economic transformation.
Biography
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was educated at the Sefwi Wiawso Secondary School and Osei Kyeretwie Secondary School (OKESS) in Kumasi and continued to study Accounting at the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS), now University of Professional Studies, Accra in 1971, before proceeding to the United Kingdom to enrol at the Kilburn Polytechnic in North-West London to pursue Accounting studies.
Two years later, he changed his programme of study and enrolled at the University of North London to read Human Resource Development and Public Administration.
He worked variously as a senior consultant with the Ontario Mutual Insurance Group in Toronto, Canada, and as an accounts officer at Oxo, a British food manufacturing firm.
He also joined the Manpower Services Commission attached to the Brent Council in North London, where he helped to develop and oversee projects to assist unemployed youth from deprived communities to get into viable employment.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II returned to Ghana in 1989 to set up his own business. He, at the same time, acted as a representative of some reputable British and European companies in the mining sector.
Source: Kwame Asare Boadu/Daily Graphic
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Name: Gabby Otchere darko Now some history : UGCC broke down in 1952... Busia then formed the Ghana congress party (GCP) and launched it at bekwai. In 1954 some ppl (including then otumfuo Agyemang Prempeh with his money worth seventy million pounds ) formed the NLM. When elections was held NLM had some seats and tho busia lost his seat,NLM offered him a seat. We had the Ga shefi mekpe (meaning the Ga youth),the togoland congress,Ghana muslims counsel--why Suame in Kumasi is so important in our history,the northern people's party.NLM was the Ashanti branch... The constellation of the above groups formed the UP. There was no UGCC and nothing like that at the time.UGCC is in no way connected to UP In the scheme of things,Ashanti and northern regions were not part of the colony...so all the people who claim they were fighting for independence were the coastal regions and greater parts of the eastern region who were under the then colony. Ashanti's joined the battle for independence after the Second World War when otumfuo went to Accra... It was then that he said they would join the euphoria to be part of the struggle for independence. So strictly speaking,Ashanti and northern regions were not part of the colony. 1947-formation of ugcc 1949-formation of cpp 1951-breakdown of ugcc /defunct 1952--formation of Ghana congress party by dr Busia and inaugurated at Bekwai in Ashanti 1954--formation of NLM (at manhyia but Baffuor Akoto spokesperson) 1957--avoidance of discrimination act by Kwame Nkrumah so formation of UP due to dissolution of all ethnic and religious based parties
Jealousy go kill you people....Asantehene is Asantehene... We love him so much so pls respect us small and try to do something for your community too. nana piawwwwwww
How on earth does a reputable national newspaper offer such cock and bull stories about this Ashantehene besides we have other chiefs in Ghana who are better qualified than this FULL !!!!!; in the first what sort of qualifications did this swindler obtain in London besides this man was never employed as a consultant with Mutaual Insurance other than employed as an insurance peddler besides at OXO he was a mere clerk ; at Brent Council he was never involved in any significant projects at the Council ;the Ashantehene aka Kweku Dua was involved in fraud in Canada and still wanmted in Canada for fraud if he sets foot in Canada ; this idea therefore that he is this reputable King for Ashante people is false besides he is not a King ;he is a Chief like all other Chiefs in Ghana ;he is not better than other Chiefs ; the only he has is money but having money given to you by your ancestors does not make you a progressive person as the piece claims ; the man is selfish; bogus and an arrogant thiff involved in smuggling gold; stills gold from his people and claims the gold was stolen ; this is a man involved in many fraudulent deals with a very bad reputation ; this is a man involved with Jon Mahama and the NDC and an NDC member who facilitated the the bribing of judges to twist the elections ; this is a man who is morally weak chasing around with young school girls ;this is man involved in galamasey receives his share of this galamasey business and pretends he has nothing to do with this evil business ; just look at how filthy Kumasi is today ; what does this evil man do with all the money he gets from the gold mines and selling lands which is his claims is his property ; what he forgets is that he is a mere custodian of the wealth of Ashanteman ; THIS MAN is a HYPOCRATE and GREEDY BASTARD AND DOES NOT DESERVE TO THE ASHANTHENE ; he is a complete DISGRACE TO ASHANTEMAN .
I FEEL ASHAMED FOR THE ASHANTI`S BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN A DISGRACE TO THEM. KUMASI HAS ROTTEN UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP. !! A KING WHO CANNOT DEVELOP HIS KINGDOM, IS THAT ONE TOO A KING?
YES 19 YEARS WHAT HAS HE DONE FOR THE ASHANTIS,WITH ALL THE MONEY THAT HE HAS TAKEN FROM THE REGION.THE GOLDS FROM OBUASI WHERE IS IT,ALL THE LANDS THAT HE HAD SOLD WHERE IS THE MONEY.LOOK AT KUMASI SINCE 19 YEARS THAT HE BECAME A KING WHAT HAS HE DONE,WITH ALL THE MONEY THAT HE HAD COLLECTED NOTHING TO SHOW BUT HE USES THE MONEY TO BUY HOUSES LONDON FOR HIM SELF AND GOES OUT IN THE NIGHT WITH YOUNG GIRLS AND SO ON I WILL STOP I DONT WANT TO GO FURTHER BUT HE IS A SELFISH KING.