The Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, the official seat of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, says it is not making any comments about reports alleging that the King has bought a $5 million country-side mansion in the United Kingdom.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Asantehene, Osei Antwi said “no comment” when Daily Guide contacted him on the report of the acquisition yesterday. He did not indicate that the palace was planning to officially issue a statement on the report which was published in a UK newspaper, the Sunday Times.
It would be recalled that BBC radio alleged that the Asante King had purchased a mansion in the UK. The PRO of the king refused to make any further statement about the nagging issue which has suddenly become the major topic of discussion in town. Pushed to the wall, the Asantehene’s PRO, who seemed not to have been ordered by the King to comment on the report, reiterated his earlier statement of ‘no comment.’
As at press time yesterday, Daily Guide gathered that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was chairing an Asanteman Council meeting at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
Please read the full report as carried by the BBC Radio and the Sunday Times: The Ashanti King is the most influential traditional figure of authority in Ghana. He lives in a palace in Kumasi, the capital of his gold-rich kingdom, but he travels the world often to meet subjects and raise funds for his many charitable educational projects.
This six-bedroom neocolonial property bought in November is expected to provide an aside from his work. It has an outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court and stables.
It sits on a 20-acre estate with creamy marble floors throughout and a cinema room. However, it is the drawing room with double windows, a decorative fireplace and paneling that caught the eye of the 60-year-old king.
Before getting to the throne in Ghana, he lived a modest life in London working for a local council, but like his fifteen predecessors, he now lives a grand life holding court with his subjects, playing golf and meeting some of the world’s most important people. That includes the queen of England who he met on one of his many visits to Britain.
Ghana, a producer of gold since the 16th Century, today has one of the largest and richest reserves of gold in the world.
The Obuasi gold mine, some thirty minutes drive from the kingdom’s capital, Kumasi, is the biggest in the country. So with the mining industry that has been a relative success story, the influence of a king who presides is immense. Though without constitutional powers, his approval is sought in many political appointments and decisions.
His office is so revered that public criticism is rare but with this new purchase, many in his kingdom and beyond might just muster the courage to ask questions about the king’s priorities. BBC Radio
Source: Daily Guide-Ghana
