The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has disclosed that he never knew he was a royal until the time came for him to be installed as King.

Speaking at a thanksgiving service to mark his 74th birthday, as part of his silver jubilee celebrations as King of the Ashanti land, the Otumfuo stated that measures were put in place to ensure that he never came to the Manhyia Palace.

“My mum told me that she would not have given birth to me at all. My mother said my dad was a womanizer, so she wanted to leave their marriage after the birth of my sibling whom I came after. She told me that the then Asantehene, my uncle, Osei Agyemang Prempeh told her that there was something he wanted from her and would not allow her to leave.
“After my mum gave birth to me, she said she couldn’t stay in the marriage because my dad (Boakye Danquah) had not stopped his bad deeds. Then my uncle (Prempeh II) told her that he now had what he wanted, so she could leave.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

He went on to narrate how Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II planned with some family relations to bring him up the way he wanted, far away from issues of the Kingdom, chieftaincy, and the Manhyia Palace.

He indicated that his uncle even stopped him from being enrolled in his favorite school, Prempeh College, and made him enroll at Sefwi Wiawso Secondary School, where a disciplinarian teacher was put in place to train him.

The Asantehene revealed that after his secondary school education, he traveled abroad to continue his education, where he lived with the family relations of his father.

He emphasized that his uncle recognized his potential and made sure he lived up to expectations

“It was after this that everything was brought to bear, and I am where I am today,” he said.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II revealed that obedience to his uncle brought many manifestations in his life and today, stating that obedience brought a lot of transformation in him and the Asante Kingdom.

He is of strong conviction that respect and obedience when followed could lead to many positive routes in personal lives.

Asantehene Promises To Provide Exemplary Leadership

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II revealed that he would continue to provide exemplary leadership filled with integrity, firmness, and sincerity, as the occupant of the golden stool.

He noted that since he ascended to the golden stool, nobody had ever tried to influence him with money to decide in his or her favor because of his firm convictions and neutrality in the adjudication of issues brought before him at the palace.

“The golden stool is wealth itself, and the spiritual integrity of the stool makes it impossible for anybody to dare to entice or influence my decision-making for personal gain.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

Addressing participants at the thanksgiving service at the Saint Cyprian’s Anglican Church in Kumasi, he disclosed that his firm conviction, royalty, firmness, humility, and fear of God, had led him to where he is today, and not by his wisdom.

“I thank Ghanaians, especially the people of Asanteman, for their trust and continued support of my reign, which had seen many positive results, and I believe with the help of God, many other things would follow in the years ahead.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

Right Reverend Dr. George Kotei Neequaye, Anglican Bishop of Tema Diocese, who preached the sermon, encouraged Ghanaian chiefs to emulate the leadership qualities of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and position the chieftaincy institution firmly to play its role in national development.

He prayed for continued God’s guidance for the King to be able to accomplish all his desires for the people he was leading and Ghana as a whole.

Present at Thanksgiving were former President Kuffuor, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, former first lady, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister for Energy, and Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng, Leader of the Movement for Change among others.