Kufuor, NAPO, KGL Boss join Otumfuo at London Lecture; His Majesty challenges British laws protecting looted artefacts

Former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, NPP presidential running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, a.k.a. Napo, and the Executive Chairman of KGL Group, Alex Apau Dadey joined Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at his lecture at the British Museum in London on Friday, July 19, 2024.

The lecture, on the theme, “Asante Culture and Heritage: Past and Present”, saw the Asantehene questioning the basis for Britain to rely on its own laws to permanently keep artefacts looted from the Asante Kingdom and other parts of Africa. He queried: “Can anyone in good conscience sustain the enactment of a law to protect illegality?”

Background
Although the looting of cultural artefacts is seen as illegal, British laws on restitution prevent permanent return of such treasures. Over the years, countries like Greece, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Egypt have demanded the repatriation of treasures taken from them by the European powers but that has not materialized.

Earlier this year, Otumfuo succeeded at getting the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, both in UK to lend Asante Kingdom 32 of such artefacts in their possession following an agreement.

Restoration
The Asantehene said, “It remains our inalterable position that articles of cultural importance looted or procured in unethical circumstances through the colonial enterprise be restored to their owners. This is the position of UNESCO and the position clearly endorsed by the government of France. We are mindful of some residual resistance but in the main, we will contend that all of us in this room are victims of a system in need of updating.”

He added: “We are either victims of a system that denies justice or victims of a system that prevents us from administering justice and doing what we know to be the right thing. From both sides, we need sincerity to appeal to our conscience.  Nobody disputes the fact that many of the cultural articles were obtained in illegal or unethical circumstances. That has to be a monumental challenge to jurisprudence and I dare say a challenge to what I unshakeably believe to the British justice.”

Review
Otumfuo called for the review of the laws that protect illegality. “My sincere hope is that in the fullness of time, sooner than later, state authorities will take steps to review laws contrived to protect illegalities and permit all concerned to apply themselves to the rational resolution of the challenge of restitution.”

Global conference
He offered to host a global conference on restitution, in Kumasi. “I stand ready in the spirit of international harmony to invite the world to Kumasi for a global conference to seek universal consensus on the peaceful and rational restitution of illegally acquired cultural objects,” he said.

Further push
Although Otumfuo welcomed the return of some of the artefacts to his Kingdom, he said that is not enough. “When we seriously engaged with the two museums, I set my team a target to make sure my people would see stolen ornaments back in Kumasi for the Silver Jubilee of my reign. I’m proud we achieved this and a number of our ornaments are now resting within the Palace where they were forcefully extracted.

“Even so, we cannot pretend that the agreement we have offers the solution to restitution. What it does is to acknowledge the impediments in the path, not in order to submit to it but avenues for fruitful engagements while we continue to seek the appropriate rational resolution,” he added.