One museum for di United States of America don return royal items wey dem tiff from Ghana more dan 100 years to di Asante kingdom.
Dis don happun barely two weeks afta two British museums agree say dem go ‘loan back’ di artefacts dem tiff from Ghana.
For dis latest batch, na Fowler Museum for di US carry di royal items go give di Asante king.
One statement by di Fowler Museum for di university of California tok say dem return di items wey one group, di wellcome trust donate to dem for 1965.
Dis dey mark di 150th anniversary of di third Anglo-Asante war.
For dat war, na so British forces scatter di Asante royal city wia dem tiff gold, silver and oda ornament for di king im palace.
“Seven of dis ornament wey dem tiff don dey di Fowler museum since 1965,” di statement tok.
Wetin be di seven items dem return?
Di royal artefact wey dem carry go di Asante king im palace from di US, be necklace and one ornamental chair.
Anoda one be elephant tail whisk.
Di oda three, be part of “indemnity payment” from di Asante kingdom to di British afta dem sign one treaty for 1874, for one town – Fomena.
Di Fowler Museum also don return two strands of beads and stool ornament.
Dis items dey important well well for di tradition and culture of di Asante pipo.
Who carry di items go di palace?
Oga for di Fowler Museum Silvia Forni wit oda curators visit di Asante king im palace wia dem carry di items give di representative of di king, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Oga for di Manhyia palace museum, Ivor Agyeman-Dua sign di papers wit Silvia for di items.
Dis na di first time di museum dey return items wey dem tiff to dia owners for di world.
Di museum no attach any condition to di return of di items.
Fowler Museum senior pesin wey dey in charge of African art, Erica Jones tok say dem keep dis artefact for dia collection bifor dem decide say dem go return dem.
“For item wey pipo tiff wit force from dia original owners, na our duty say we go carry dem go back to di owners.”
Bifor dem return di stolen items, dem scan dem for 3D wia dem tok say make Ghana artist do replica wit permission from di palace.
Wetin di Asante palace tok
Afta di Fowler Museum return di artefact, one of di chiefs for di palace, Nana Oheneba Noachie-Adjei Wiahene II, tok say “we make happy say dem carry dis items come.”
“We go display di seven precious items for di palace museum. Dis na tins di British tiff for dis kingdom.”
“We don read about dis items, dem neva born we dat time dem tiff dem. So e dey special say for our lifetime, we fit see dis items for our palace,” im explain.
Im also tok say as dis first batch don return afta 150 years, odas too go come join.
“We don dey expect say more of di items from di UK go come in three or four months,” Nana Oheneba tok.
One historian for di palace, Safo Kantanka tok say “dis items get cultural and spiritual significance to di Asante pipo.”
“E don be part of our history, wia we for preserve am and hand over to oda generation.”
Dem go display dis items and odas for Asante king im silver jubilee
Sabi pesin for di asante kingdom tok say di palace go display dis artefacts during di silver jubilee celebration of di coronation of di current king, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Already, dem set committee wia don dey plan di anniversary.
Di celebration wey go happun for April, go also mark di 150th anniversary of di third Anglo-Asante war.
Dis war na di Sagrenti war wia also dey mark di return of di Asante king at di time, Nana Prempeh I, from exile for di Seychelles archipelago.
Juabenhene and Chairman of di Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II be di oga wey dey lead di committee wey dey plan di silver jubilee celebration.
Im tok say “di Asante kingdom go host di kontri and di world for one big celebration of di ogbonge reign of King Otumfuo Osie Tutu II.”
“Dis celebration go show di world di extraordinary leadership of di king wit all di progress wey don happun for im 25-year reign.”
