So today, we have Otumfuor’s son in the person of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party and his grandson NAPO as the running mate. Perfect match.
Ashantis are unique people who see the prospects of someone from afar. This unique behavior of Ashantis drawing non Ashantis into their fold extends to all fields of endeavor. Their cherished club ASANTI KOTOKO also tapped the talent of certain non-Ashanti players to develop the team.
It came as no surprise when On 24 January 1971, Kumasi Asante Kotoko became the first Ghanaian club to win the coveted African Champions Cup (now Champions League) with a well executed 2:1 victory over T. P. Englebert (now T. P. Mazembe) of Congo DR in the 1970 final second leg match played in Kinshasa.
So today, we have Otumfuor’s son in the person of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party and his grandson NAPO as the running mate. Perfect match.
Ashantis are unique people who see the prospects of someone from afar. This unique behavior of Ashantis drawing non Ashantis into their fold extends to all fields of endeavor. Their cherished club ASANTI KOTOKO also tapped the talent of certain non-Ashanti players to develop the team.
It came as no surprise when On 24 January 1971, Kumasi Asante Kotoko became the first Ghanaian club to win the coveted African Champions Cup (now Champions League) with a well executed 2:1 victory over T. P. Englebert (now T. P. Mazembe) of Congo DR in the 1970 final second leg match played in Kinshasa.
Kotoko sent the cup to Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the owner of the club at the time, at the Manhyia Palace after arriving in Ghana.
The starting line -up was Robert Mensah, Ben Kusi, Oliver Acquah, Clifford Odame, Ohene Brenya, Ibrahim Sunday, Sule Musah, Yaw Sam, Abukari Gariba, Malik Jabir and Osumanu Orlando. Players who stayed on the bench of Kotoko were: Essel Mensah, Osei Kofi, Albert Essuman (Baby Pele),Atia Mohammed Musah, Bobie Ansah and Dogo Moro, who was a player cum team manager, while The technical team had Edward Aggrey Fynn as Coach, Ben Koufie as Assistant Coach and Dogo Moro. Check the list and see the number of non-Ashanti players that made the victory for Kotoko.
Ashantis have the tradition of naming their project and properties after certain prominent non-Ashantis. The second biggest hospital in the country and in their region was named after Okomfo Anokye.
The former President, His excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, an indigenous Ashanti, changed and renamed Kumasi sports stadium after Kumasi born footballer Baba Yara (1936-1969 active for Kotoko from 1955-1961) under the new patriotic government in 2004 and as usual Ashantis were PROUD and HAPPY with the new name.
Ashantis and their chiefs are people who recognize the presence of settlers in their region. They usually name the area occupied by these settlers after them and live together peacefully. They have Fante New Town, Mooshi Zongo, Anwaga, Dagomba Line and many more. The Asantehene Otumfuor Osei Tutu II give equal respect and recognition to the tribal chiefs in the region as he gives to his own chiefs.
In April 2024, it was a spectacular show of pomp and peagent of traditions at the Manhyia Palace, where the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, hosted various tribal chiefs and their people living in the Ashanti Region.
The gathering was one of the rare occasions at the seat of the Asante Kingdom, where traditions of the Asantes gave way to a mixture of cultural displays of other tribes.
Dubbed “Ahohoo Dubar”, the event was reserved for Chiefs of various tribes domiciled in the Ashanti Region to pay homage to the Occupant of the Golden Stool as part of activities marking the 25th anniversary of his enstoolment.
Notable among the tribes that were present were: Frafras, Kusases, Gonjas, Kasenas, Dagombas, Walas, Kwahus, Nzemas, Ewes, Fantis, Kantoses, Gas, Moshies and Gurmas. Others from neighbouring countries including Igbos, Yurobas, as well as Songhai were also represented.
The Chiefs who took turns to pay homage to the Asantehene, applauded him for being a generous and accommodating host to them over the years.
They prayed for God to continue to bless the King with infinite wisdom and long life and pledged to live in harmony and contribute to the development of Asanteman. Check out the tribes above and see how unifier Otumfuo and his people are and now ready to use the great son of the north Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to demonstrate this unique behavior to the rest of the world.
It is a fact that Ashantis went to war around the whole country. They did not fight because of money or gold, they fought because they needed great, strong and intelligent people from the other tribes to join them fight the British and build their great kingdom.
They succeeded in getting certain noble and great tribes like the DAGOMBAS and Bono. Asante won in spite of inferior numbers. As a result of this defeat, Dagomba and its dependencies became tribute paying vassals of Asante. (Unity loving people indeed) Ashantis spirit of togetherness did not come by chance. It is a God Giving character.
Before the start of the wars, the leading family called all other family members to come together so that they can fight the other tribes including their common Enemy (COLONIAL MASTER). So they said let’s come together because of war. Hence the name ASANTI meaning because of WAR.
In Akan language, Osa means war and Asa means wars. Therefore, Asa Nti (because of wars) let us come together.
Hence Asanti but because of the difficulty in the pronunciation of the word “ASANTI” by the British, they said “Ashanti”, and this has lived with us and our academia till now.
