Centenary of Asantehene Prempeh's return from exile marked in Seychelles 

Seychelles and Ghana celebrated the centennial anniversary of Asantehene Nana Agyeman Prempeh I return to his country last Monday with the official opening of the King in Exile exhibition at the National Library Gallery.

During the opening ceremony, Ghana's High Commissioner to Seychelles, Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, revealed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has invited Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan to Ghana. President Ramkalawan, who attended the ceremony, will be the guest of honour at a symposium being held at the Palace in Kumasi on November 22.

The exhibition, which will remain open until November 19, features textiles and photos. It is a joint collaboration between the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts (SNICHA), the Manhyia Palace Museum, and the Seychelles Consulate in Ghana.
 
Speaking at the launch of the exhibition, Secretary General of SNICHA, David Andre, said that during Prempeh I time in exile, "he demonstrated resilience, grace, and adaptability, strengthening not only his own spirit but also the cultural and historical link between Seychelles and Ghana."

In the year 1896, at the height of British colonialism in Africa, the British government discontinued the office of Asantehene and exiled Nana Agyeman Prempeh I. Twenty-seven years later, the British allowed Prempeh I to return home in 1926 but initially only permitted him to adopt a lesser title, eventually restoring Ashanti self-rule and the title of Asantehene in 1935.

While addressing the guests at the event, Nana Kwasi Boatin, explained how the Ashanti would reminisce "and sing the Seychelles songs in Ghana with a few beers."

Still building links between the two nations, Boatin also pledged to donate books to the newly refurbished National Library " that will tell the history of the Ashanti and continue building on the existing cultural ties."