Today marks exactly 25 years since Nana Barima Kwaku Duah ascended the Golden Stool as the 16th Monarch of the Asante Kingdom and was bestowed with the name Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
He succeeded Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, who passed away at the age of 79 in February 1999 after reigning for 29 years.
Otumfuo was enstooled on April 26, 1999.
Swearing In
Clad in black cloth on the fateful day, traditional rulers crowded the Manhyia Palace to administer his swearing-in.
A video from the event showed Otumfuo Osei Tutu II elevated amid the crowd and handed a sword to make an oath.
“I, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, am here to continue the good works of my predecessors which have brought the Asante Kingdom into great reputation. If I fail to rule the Kingdom in truth and honesty, I have violated the great oath,” he said and then handed back the sword.
Achievement
Since then, the King has raised the bar in leadership, projecting the Kingdom locally, nationally and globally.
He has made substantial contributions towards education, health, water and sanitation, entrepreneurship, culture and heritage, peace, and development in Ghana.
Currently, he has an established a Non-Govermental Organisation- the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation (OOTIIF), formerly Otumfuo Education Fund- which is engaged in five broad thematic areas and in line with the achievement of aspects of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) goals.
When it comes to education, in the past 25 years, more than one million brilliant but needy students across the 16 regions have benefited through the foundation.
In addition to that, his foundation runs educational and health projects which seek to bridge rural and urban gaps.
The globally acclaimed Monarch has also received numerous awards, honours and citations for his contributions among which is the Pillar of Peace Award.
In 2021, a commemorative gold coin was launched in his honour by Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) in collaboration with the E On 3 Group in recognition of his good works.
In 2022, he was presented with a piece of St Augestine’s Cross- an award of merit given by the Archbishop of Canterbury and awarded to members of the Anglican Communion who have made significant contributions to the life of the worldwide Communion, or to a particular autonomous church within Anglicanism.
Plans are far advanced to launch philatelic stamps in his honour. The launch will take place on May 4, 2024- two days to the 74th birthday of the King. This is through a collaboration between the International Intergovernmental Corporation and the Ghana Post Philatelic Committee.
Source: Manhyia Palace
