Asantehene Bent On Making Manhyia Archives More Effective

Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has promised his unflinching support to the Director of the Institute of African Studies, Professor Samuel Aniegye Ntewusu and the new head of the Manhyia Archives, Mr Francis Odonkor in making the facility “more effective and more functional”.

According to him, some persons have resorted to stealing away records they deem unfavourable to their kind and thus the need to ensure stricter security.

“I feel people are pilfering our archives so we need also to be very careful. People do their research and take away some of the information that is unfavourable to them. We need strict security and supervision there also. I asked for CCTV cameras to be installed in there and I will come there to inspect one of these days.”

Another concern for His Majesty is the untranscribed video archives of cases adjudicated.

He indicated that some chieftaincy conflicts which have been peacefully settled emanated from contorted traditions. As such he noted that keeping transcribed and translated records of these will serve as future references.

“For the past 24 or 25 years, cases we have adjudicated haven’t been transcribed so we need to look at how to transcribe and set up a proper system to file all these documents.”

He continued, “There is quite a lot for us to do and I will give you all the support. We need translators…we need to make it more functional and more relevant”.

He made the submissions when the new Director of the Institute of African Studies, Professor Samuel Aniegye Ntewusu introduced himself to him at the Manhyia Palace during the eighth Awukudae of the year on November 8, 2023.

“We have a tradition that once you are made the Director of the Institute of African Studies, you are supposed to come to Otumfuo for blessings so I am here for that purpose. The reason why we need your blessing is that as an institute that was established about 60 years ago, we researched and we teach African traditions and histories and we know the embodiment of all these and therefore there is no way we can continue without coming to you,” he said in his address.

He also introduced Mr Francis Donkor as the new head of the Manhyia Archives which was established as part of the Ashanti Research Project by the Institute of African Studies of the University of Ghana in May 1963 with the approval and aid of the then Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Agyeman Prempeh II.

According to the IAS website, the Manhyia Archives was set up to provide efficient and reliable professional records and archives management services to promote democracy, human rights, justice, accountability, good governance, development and the study of the country’s history, culture and national identity.