Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has disclosed that his mother, the late Asantehemaa Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem IV, and his late uncle, Asantehene Prempeh II, agreed to hide his royal status as a potential Asantehene in the early days of his childhood life.
Describing himself as a lucky child, Otumfuo said, “My mother Afia Kobi Ampem was contemplating divorce with my father Boakye Dankwah because he was womanising, but my late uncle, Osei Agyemang Prempeh, also known as Nana Kwame Kyeretwie, insisted my mother should continue the marriage at the time they had separated because he had not achieved what he was looking for in their marriage. The two reunited and the Lord blessed them with me.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,Asantehene
“My mother again told my uncle she could not continue the marriage with my father because he was still womanising. My uncle then responded, ‘Afia you have my blessing for your decision; after all, I’ve achieved what I was looking for from him, that is, a male child named Barima Kwaku Duah,” he added.
Otumfuo continued, “My late uncle then adopted me four years after my birth to stay with my uncle Kwadwo Bonsu, the Hiahene Oheneba Mensah Bonsu. I didn’t know it was a ‘conspiracy’ between my mother and my uncle to hide my identity from me just for me to be cultured and also to take care of my educational needs. My uncle didn’t want me to stay in the royal palace to go through any royalty process. So my uncle Mensah Bonsu took me as his biological son. He made me aware that I’m the next after his son Afoduo. No one knew I wasn’t his biological son until recently. He sponsored my education at Division School.”
Otumfuo disclosed this while speaking at his 74th birthday celebration thanksgiving church service at the St. Cyprians Anglican Church in Kumasi and as part of activities marking his 25th anniversary celebration on the Asanteman Golden Stool.
He said he was prevented from coming to Manhyia Palace. “They just didn’t want me to know about Manhyia Palace. My mother also hid herself from me. She only came to my late uncle’s house purposely to visit her brother but not to have anything to do with me,’’ he added.
Otumfuo further said that after completing basic education at Division School at Asante New Town, he was denied the opportunity to further his secondary school at Prempeh College in Kumasi.
“My uncle secured admission at Prempeh College and the current Adontenhene’s mother had bought all my things in line with the prospectus the school gave out. One day my uncle told me he had changed his mind. He would send me to a different school. He would not allow me to go to school at Prempeh at the time all my friends at Ashtown were preparing to go to Prempeh and I wanted to be there. KO Asafo Adjei, Mark Addo, and Kwabena Poku, among others, were all there so we all wanted to be there as well. So I landed at Sefwi Wiewso Secondary School SEWASS,” he recounted.
“Mr. Osei who was our headmaster told my uncle his friend who was a disciplinarian at Opoku Ware had been transferred to Sefwi Wiewso so that’s where he would send me. All this was a ploy between my mother and the Asantene Nana Agyemang Prempeh at Manhyia Palace. So they said the Sefwi Wiewso Paramount Chief is my son. Take him there and he would provide all his needs. I went there and successfully completed my secondary education,” he added.
He explained, “When I gained admission to study accountancy at IPS in Accra, I was sent to stay with my father’s brother Asafo Boakye in Accra to take care of me. After IPS education, I left the country for the UK for further studies. Outside Ghana, I stayed with my brother Foduo Nana Bodu who also played a major role in my schooling and work life there. All these were the doing of Hiahene because I didn’t know anything about my mother’s side until the death of my uncle through which I became Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the sixteen occupant of the Golden Stool. I’m happy to see my class 2 teacher Ms. Rose Asiedua Ampeh here and all my old-time friends whom I have not seen many years ago.”
Otumfuo questioned why his mother and uncle took him through all these and what really was their motives.
He concluded by saying, “If we are thanking God today for how far he has brought me, we should know that in the beginning, my family didn’t want me to boast about my royalty so it was hidden from me. I was not pampered. I was trained and cultured for today’s tasks and responsibilities way back because they knew what was ahead of me right from my childhood.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/ Isaac Justice Bediako
