THE LATE OTUMFUO

Otumfuo Nana Opoku Ware II

Born in Kumasi in 1910 into the Ashanti Royal Family, the young Mathew Poku attended an Anglican School before proceeding for his secondary school at Adisadel College, Cape Coast in Ghana.

On finishing his course, he trained as a surveyor and one of his legacies was the planning and design of the Kumasi Traditional Council Hall. In 1951 he left the Gold Coast for the United Kingdom where he pursued studies in law and was called to the bar at the Middle Temple at the end of 1962. He returned to Ghana to practise law in the Chambers of Messrs Effa and Tortoe. Later, he set up private in Kumasi, the Ashanti Capital.

Before becoming the Asantehene, he served as Commissioner for Communications under the National Liberation Council (NLC) from February 1, 1968 to April 14, 1969. He was appointed Ambassador-designate to Italy, but had to give that position up when Otumfuo Nana Agyeman Prempeh II died and he had to succeed him as Otumfuo Opoku ware II, Asantehene.

He stated at the time that he considered his duty as Asantehene more demanding than that of an Ambassador, and equally important to the progress and well being of Ghana.