Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene is expected to officially inaugurate Asanteman Europe in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Saturday, July 2, 2022.
The visit, in part, seeks to deepen the diplomatic relationship between the two continents - Manhyia Palace in the Royal Kingdom of Asante (Africa) and the Constitutional Monarchy of the Netherlands (Europe).
The inauguration event will be the next visit of the Asantehene after he visited the Netherlands two decades ago in June 2002 where the visit deepened the 300 year-relationship between Ghana (then Gold Coast) and the Netherlands.
Nananom from Asanteman who are expected to be at the inauguration are Kumawumanhene, Barima Safo Tweneboa Kodua; Tepamanhene, Nana Adusei Atwerewa Apem; Agonamanhemaa,Nana Akyampomaa Ntansa Yiadom II; Konahene, Nana Konadu Yiadom Kumanin IV and Fawomanhemaa, Nana Serwaa Ampafo.
Other dignitaries expected at the ceremony are the Ghana Ambassador to the Netherlands, Francis Danti Kotia; Chief Executive Officer of Despite Group of Companies, Dr Osei Kwame Despite and Chief Executive Officer of Angel Group of Companies, Dr Kwaku Oteng.
Asanteman Europe is made up of 15 member associations (unions) in 11 European countries, namely; Asanteman Kroyɛ Kuo (Austria), Asanteman Association Brussels (Belgium), Asanteman Association Antwerp (Belgium), Asanteman Denmark (Denmark), Asanteman Finland Ry (Finland), Asanteman Kuo Hamburg (Germany), Asanteman Dusseldorf (Germany), Asanteman Royals Association Dusseldorf (Germany), Asanteman Kuo Berlin (Germany).
The rest are Asanteman Italy (Italy), Asanteman Traditional Council of the Netherlands (the Netherlands), Asanteman Norway (Norway), Asantemankuo Sweden (Sweden), Asanteman Union Switzerland (Switzerland) and Asanteman Nkabomukuo (UK).
Awareness
The Asanteman Traditional Council of the Netherlands is the host for the inauguration and in a joint interview, Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko Kesewaa (Holland Asanfoɔhemaa) and Nana Onipamu Osei Kufour (Holland Asantefoɔhene) hinted that the host country was more than ready for the ceremony.
They said preparations were ready for about 5,000 attendants and that hotels and guest houses were readily available for visitors, expressing optimism that the display of Asante culture will rekindle the penchant for cultural identities among Ghanaians in the diaspora.
Display of culture
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Nana Kwabena Opoku, in an interview, said the inauguration will be on the theme: “Empowering the Ghanaian Child through Education - the role of Asanteman Europe” and part of the funds that will be raised at the ceremony will go to support needy but brilliant students for quality education.
Nana Opoku who doubles as Adontenhene of the Asanteman Traditional Council of the Netherlands said some of the funds will go to support some Health Institutions in the Ashanti Region, Ghana.
He added that there will be cultural displays in kete, adowa, fɔntɔmfrɔm, etc which will also give attendants the opportunity to learn Asante culture.
Networking
The President of the Executive Council, Papa Yaw Agyei emphasized that the formation of Asanteman Europe was not only to reunite Asantes on the European continent but also to create networking among themselves.
He said through networking, the few who came together before the inauguration had been able to make COVID-19 relief donations which were presented to support health facilities back home in Ghana.
He stated to remind all members that Asanteman Europe is not formed to threaten other tribes of Ghana, but to lead a good example of “respecting and remembering our cultural identities as Ghanaians irrespective of which generation and where we live”.
Papa Agyei however, urged Asantes living in Asia, Oceania (Australia), South America, to also learn from this good example of Europe to be able to reconnect to one another culturally.
Short History
The Board Chairman of Asanteman Europe who is also the Asantemanhene of Finland, Nana Ekuoba Semperemo Gyasi Gyimah who gave a brief history of the group recalled that Asanteman Europe was formed in February 2018 in Zurich, Switzerland when he and some Asantes living in Europe realized the need to promote Asante culture, especially for the younger generation in the diaspora.
The founders he said were living in Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Belgium and they selected 11 members to be interim Executives who were subsequently elected as substantive Executives to run the group.
He further recalled that the group then agreed to have Congress as its highest decision-making body, followed by the Board and then the Executive Council with the traditional backing of the House of Chiefs (nananom) and later decided on the official launching of Asanteman Europe.