If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
-Mother Teresa
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. where there is hatred let me sow love.
-St. Francis of Assisi
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
-Mahatma Gandhi
Historic! That should be the historian in us. Diplomatic! That will be the politician in us. Spectacular, splendid, beautiful, all the positive appellations go to mark Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s Journey to Accra to say “hello” to his brother, the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsru II. Call it an exercise in reciprocity and you might be right.
The Ga Mantse had visited Ashanti to join the people there in celebrating the Silver Jubilee (25years) of Otumfuo’s reign, so we think courtesy would have demanded that Otumfuo “pays him back”. Isn’t there the need for synchronisation? Love, peace, unity. The Asantes living in Accra and on Ga land must have had the greatest joy seeing their King visit them. It might be just like a father going to a man who has gifted the son something and the father going to the man to say, “merci beaucoup.”
Dr. Osei Kwame Despite with his brother, Dr. Ofori Sarpong and all the members of the East Legon Executive Club in their all white dressing riding their Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, Bugatti Veyron, and Cadillac Escalade stole the show, not discounting the several Ga and Asante chiefs who were present. Like begets like and birds of a feather flock together or, to throw in a punch, we would say like-minded individuals gravitate towards each other.
Their all white dressing was matched by the charming all white group of maidens who bore calabashes laced with white feathers. The Paramount chief of Sempe, Nii Adote Otintor II, Gbese Mantse and Adonten of the Ga State, Nii Ayi-Bonte II, as well as the chief of Ngleshie Amanfro, Nii Kwashie Gborlor, met their counterparts from Asante.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who offered the Ga state GH¢500,000 for an educational fund noted, “Chieftaincy is no longer about war and conquering territories, but a push for progress and development of the nation.” Otumfuo promised his support for the 2024 Homowo celebrations.
Describing Asantehene as having made chieftaincy “beautiful”, King Tackie saw Otumfuo’s reign as “an epitome of peace and a symbol of quality leadership.” Some people who attended the ceremony were asking, “Could this occasion have happened under the PNDC regime? What about the open display of affluence? The interlocutor chipped in, whose chain were we wearing in 1981 to 1991?
One person recalled the 1946 (78 years now) visit of Otumfuo Osei Agyeman Prempeh II to Accra. It was at the invitation of the colonial governor to be part of the launch of the Gold Coast Constitution of 1946 (the Burns Constitution named after Governor Sir Alan Burns). The Asantehene Prempeh II was invited as guest of honour. It was at the Polo Ground and Item 1 of the Souvenir Programme for the Durbar stated, “The Ga Mantse and his chiefs arrive in state at the Old Polo Ground at 8:00am to receive the Guest of honour, the Asantehene and his chiefs.”
The Asantes had agreed to unite with the Gold Coast Colony. It is significant that Otumfuo Prempeh II was hosted by Nii Kwabena Bonnie III, Osu Alata Mantse, the Oyokohene of Tekyiman. One may remember Nii Kwabena Bonnie leading the Boycott of European goods owing to the inflation of the retail prices on imported goods by the Association of West African Merchants (AWAM) which acronym will later become synonymous with anything done in trickery.
Thinking of history, historians like our good selves, reminisce the visit of Mansa Kanku Musa to Mecca on pilgrimage. Though Mansa Musa’s tale does not fall on all fours with Nana Osei Tutu’s Accra visit, there are aspects that are similar. This falls in the Latin maxim: Nullum simile quattuor pedibus currit (No comparison runs on all fours, to wit, comparisons are generally lame in some respects).
Mansa Musa, who was the ninth Emperor of Mali, reigned between 1312 and 1337. His Kingdom was very rich, trading in salt, gold and elephant ivory. In 1324, he decided to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca; accompanied by 60,000 people which included 12,000 slaves, each carrying 4lb of gold bar. It was a total of 18 tonnes of gold (equal in value to present day $960 million. In today’s calculation, Mansa Musa’s would be worth more than $400 billion – the world’s richest man, and his empire encompassed present-day Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, the Gambia and the modern state of Mali.
Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca involved a journey of 2,700 miles, 80 camels each carrying 300lb of gold dust. Pieces of gold were given to people he passed on the way, including those in Cairo and Medina, building mosques every Friday. He spent three months in Cairo, and made many friends there, including the Sultan Mamluk Sultan al Nasir.
On his return journey from Mecca, tragedy struck the Mansa Musa entourage; many of the Malian pilgrims died of cold, starvation and suffered bandit raids. They had run out of supplies, and they were forced to borrow money, making Musa go into debt to several merchants including Siraj al-Din.
Mansa Musa, imbued with generosity and intelligence, was able to convince the Andalusi poet, Abu Ishaq al Sahili, and he established the Sankore Madrasah University in Timbuktu as a centre of learning. He also built the Djingareyber Mosque which still stands.
Unlike Mansa Musa, King Osei Tutu II would return to Kumasi without getting indebted to anyone. Even should it come to the crunch there are thousands, nay, millions of Asantes willing and ready, we included, to solve the problem. Like Tweneboa-Kodua, we stand ready to do a hara-kiri for Asante and our King.
At the end of it all, one will note the significant speech of Nii Boi Abbey, Chairman of the Planning Committee: “… The durbar of the two gallant royals will also be used to promote peace ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections in December this year…” So, the visit by Asantehene “is not just a ceremonial event but a testament to the enduring friendship and mutual respect between the Ashanti and Ga people, reaffirming their commitment to cultural preservation and national unity.”
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has demonstrated his unflinching love for peace and unity in the resolution of the Dagbon crisis, his spectacular visit to Kyebi and the colourful “journey” to Anlo. All we, as citizens can do, is to emulate the King’s unique efforts and think of Ghana first – forget the sordid past, and look forward to a peaceful, united Ghana. The programme of the June 9, 2024 visit says it all: “The Ga people have a tradition of inclusiveness, welcoming our friends and adopting customs and traditions from other groups.
This led to the assimilation of various ethnic groups, including some Akan people into Ga society. At the Durbar, King Tackie Teiko Tsusu II, Ga Mantse and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, declared to work together for peace and the wellbeing of the people of Ghana. Did we hear anybody shout Amen?
Africanus Owusu-Ansah
africanusoa@gmail.com