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Asanteman marks Silver Jubilee of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II
Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana greets the Asantehene
The 25th anniversary of the ascension of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to the Golden Stool as the Asantehene, has taken off smoothly with a plethora of events.
It started with the successful commemoration of the 150th Sagrenti war with a durbar of chiefs who witnessed the presentation of regalia to the Asantehene by the University of California, of the first batch of seven objects looted in the third Anglo-Asante War of 1874.
It was dubbed the ‘Kuntunkuni’ durbar, as all and sundry wore black, to mark the commemoration of the 150 years of the Sagrenti War.
The seven returning objects go back to the period before Asantehene Kofi Karkari in the 1840s and include an ornamental chair of wood, brass, leather and iron, 10 large beads worn as bracelet or anklet; strand of seed or bug-shaped beads; gold of an elephant hair, glass and silver; a royal stool ornament; a royal necklace and a royal stool ornament.
At the Dwaberem of Manhyia Palace, the atmosphere was charged with the beating of Fontomfrom and other cultural drums and displays and the arrivals of Paramount Chiefs carried in palanquins.
Again, there has been the commissioning of a multi-purpose auditorium constructed by the King at the Manhyia Palace in March.
A non-denominational thanksgiving service was also held to celebrate the anniversary at Dwabrem where the Otumfuo praised religious bodies stressing that their spiritual guidance has been the source of his successful 25-year reign on the Golden Stool.
A commemorative postage stamp of the Asantehene was also unveiled by Ghana Post at a ceremony attended by the Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
The Mamponghene, Dasebre Osei Bonsu, thanked Ghana Post for the honour and announced that the Manhyia Palace Museum, under the auspices of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has also been re-opened to the public.
Also on display are seven sections of sheet-gold ornament, one silver spoon, one pair of silver anklets and one section of sheet-gold ornament.
Speaking at the homecoming of the looted artefacts, Otumfuo Osei Tutu indicated that the return of the items was a restoration of the Asante spirit.
“The items that came back are virtually the soul of the people of Asante. Not all of them have returned.
But, what we have here embodies the soul of Asante. Today is a day for Asantes and for the Black African continent. The spirit that we bore and share is back with us,” he said.
The celebration also witnessed a grand event of Asanteman queen mother’s day that highlighted the rich culinary heritage of the Asante Kingdom.
The event, graced by esteemed guests including the Asantehene, the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, Chief of Staff of the Office of the President, Frema Osei Opare, among others, witnessed a blend of tradition, culture, and gastronomy.
On April 26, 1999, the Asantehene was enstooled as the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool.
The event would be climaxed tomorrow with a grand durbar of chiefs and people at the Dwabrem of the Manhyia Palace.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
• Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana greets the Asantehene.
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
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Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
