Ghanaian king gets royal treatment

Los Angeles (Califonia, USA) -- LONG BEACH It's not easy being king.

Or so they say.

The king of a small West African nation popped into a Bixby Knolls beauty parlor Wednesday afternoon where he held court for a group of local business folk and members of the media.

His Excellency the Honorable Nana Kwaku Bayin, a kindly gentleman fluent in several languages, who dresses in traditional African garb, regaled the crowd for more than an hour, discussing such topics as religion, politics, trade and education.

But alas, the king grew weary of the endless questions and countless photo opportunities, so with a nod to his guests and a friendly goodbye, the king retreated behind closed doors for a massage, manicure and facial.

After all, a king's job isn't all work and no play.

"It isn't easy being a king,' His Excellency said. "We have all the heavy problems ... dealing with the queens, governing the people. There's a lot of responsibilities.'

The king, in the region for a two-week visit promoting trade between Ghana and California, isn't the official head of Ghana, a nation of 17.7 million people bordering the Ivory Coast, Togo and the Atlantic Ocean.

Those duties are handled by a democratically elected president and parliament.

The king's role is to help settle legal disputes involving government land much of which his family owns.

"We are in charge of land-use issues, the development of land and these things,' said theking. "It can become very complicated.'

On Saturday, King Bayin announced in a local radio interview that he wanted to give away 500 plots of his land each 50 feet wide by 100 feet long to any African-American willing to develop it. The land comes with water supplies and electrical lines.

"The hope is to get African- Americans to reconnect with their culture and help promote the economy of Ghana,' said His Excellency, noting that United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is a native of Ghana. "People can build whatever they want on the land.'

Although the king lives in a waterfront castle and owns land as far as the eye can see, he said he feels a connection to the average American.

A Baptist, His Excellency was educated in New York City and has traveled regularly throughout the United States since childhood. As for Southern California, he finds it refreshingly similar to his beloved Ghana.

"The people are warm and the weather is warm,' he said. "Ev erywhere I go, I meet people who smile and say hello. In New York, you don't get too many people who say hello.'

The king will return to the region for Ghana Week in Los Angeles from June 13 to 21, a business and cultural expo promoting increased ties between Ghana and California.