Kumasi, April 26, GNA – Authentic African culture, glamour,
royalty, pomp and pageantry were on full display at a
durbar of chiefs and people of
Asanteman to climax activities marking 10
years of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene’s coronation.
President John Evans Atta Mills joined the tall-list of foreign
and local dignitaries, including four
former African Heads of State, who
gathered at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium to add more colour to
the occasion.
They included former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo,
Mr Festus Gontebanye Mogae, former President of Botswana,
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, former President of Sierra-Leone, and
Ghana’s former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Also present were the Spanish Former
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar;
Ghana’s Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood; Sir
Gabriel Igbenedion, Esama of Benin, Nigeria; Former Vice
President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Ministers of State and
members of the Diplomatic Corps.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu dressed in richly designed kente cloth and
adored with gold, rode to the durbar grounds in a
palanquin under the canopy of large
umbrellas and amidst the throbbing of
“fontomfrom’ and “kete” drums and clattering of executioners
swords at exactly 1100 hours.
Moments later, President Mills also drove in and on arrival
exchanged pleasantries with the Asantehene.
All this while, Paramount Chiefs from the 63 Paramountcies,
that make up the Asanteman and their subordinate chiefs
had taken their seats under huge
multi-coloured umbrellas.
President Mills lauded Otumfuo Osei Tutu and labelled his
decade reign as 10 years of positive and exemplary
leadership.
He cited the immense support the King was providing in the
areas of education and health in the country and said “Otumfuo
deserves our commendation”.
The presence of peoples from across the world at the durbar,
he pointed out was an eloquent testimony of the fact that
the Asantehene had touched the lives
of many and was a unifying factor.
President Mills used the occasion to encourage Ghanaians to
ensure a united front, saying: “We must always remember
that we belong to Mother Ghana.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the celebration was to recognize
African civilization and demonstrate to the world that Africa
had a great culture and traditions.
It was also to remind the people that traditional leadership had
important role to play in modern governance and the
socio-economic development of the people.
The Asantehene appealed to the African Union (AU) to give
formal recognition to traditional institutions since most
of them were playing significant roles
in governance and socio-economic
progress of the people.
GNA
