100th anniversary of King Prempeh's return from exile in Seychelles 

President Ramkalawan, who attended the ceremony, has been invited as a guest of honour a symposium being held at the Palace in Kumasi on November 22. (State House)

Seychelles and Ghana celebrated the centennial anniversary of King Prempeh's return to his country on Monday afternoon 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 her head of state has invited President Wavel Ramkalawan to Ghana. 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.

The exhibition will remain open until November 19 at the National Library. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY

Speaking at the launch of the exhibition, Secretary General of SNICHA, David Andre, said that during King Prempeh's 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 – the absolute ruler of the Ashanti people – and exiled the then-king, 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."