Use of Asanteman flag on coronation flyer draws Twitter chatter

play videoOtumfuo Osei Tutu II and Lady Julia

The use of the Gold, Black, Green flag of Asanteman on a flyer involving the Otumfuo’s attendance of the May 6 coronation of King Charles III has cooked up a Twitter storm.

The flyer, an unofficial one, posted by a Twitter handle called Royal World Thailand, captures a number of royals who attended the event.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Lady Julia are the first on the flyer but whereas the others had their national flags beneath their portraits, they had the Asanteman flag not the Ghana flag.

The Asanteman flag is always present especially on official cars of the Otumfuo wherever he travels to in the country.

So what is the disagreement about?

At the heart of the back and forth that has since ensued is why the Ghana flag was not used with those demanding so, insisting that Asanteman is within Ghana and the Otumfuo is Ghanaian.

Those against the move are of the view that the Asantehene was invited in his capacity as leader of the Ashanti Kingdom which has strong relations with the British monarchy.

What you need to know: The Asanteman flag

The Asantes (Asante Region/Asante Kingdom) are the only people in Ghana with an official national flag, a symbol of authority which they call the Asanteman Flag.

The flag of the Ashanti Region was adopted by the Ashanti kingdom's Emperor Asantehene Prempeh II in 1935.

It is based on the Ashanti absolute monarchy throne, the Golden Stool, which has been Ashanti's symbol of unity and soul since 1701, the early-eighteenth century AD, upon the foundation of the Ashanti Empire.

Yellow, black, and green are the colours that signify the Ashanti flag.

All the elements in the Flag have a meaning, and they have been explained below:

1. The yellow part of the flag represents the riches/wealth of Asanteman.

2. The Black part of the flag represents the symbolic image of the Blackman concerning the Asante Nation and the courage of the Asante Nation in facing the challenges of warfare.

3. The Green colour, represents the refreshingly greener vegetation cover in the forest areas of Asanteman.

4. The symbol in the Black at the centre of the flag is called "Gyemirekutu KYƐ" (Hat) which is made up of animal parts coated with gold-coloured paintings: Elephant Tail, Ɔwam ti (Hornbill Head), The Skin Covering the Elephant Kneebone, The Feathers of the Hornbill, Adwera (PortulacaOleracea Leafs).

Also, the flag is beautifully positioned on the hood emblem on the bonnet of the 80-year-old Rolls Royce of the Asantehene.

See some tweets below:

Piawwwwwwwww!!!! pic.twitter.com/AVPTQfgufF
— The Asante Nation (@Ashanti_Kingdom) May 6, 2023

You are not serious see them give you different flag you say piawwwwwww
— MR DEI (@Rich99thekid) May 6, 2023

The Gold, Black & Green Is The Flag Of Asante Kingdom & Everyone Is Proud Of. So If They (Asantes) Demand Development From Otumfoɔ, Don't Tell Them (Asantes) To Go To The President Because That's Where They Pay Tax. https://t.co/WR3YohiJXl
— sArge???????????? (@_madlipz__) May 7, 2023

This reads “List of members of Foreign Royal Families attending the Coronation”

He went to represent the people this flag belongs to — Asanteman. He’s not there to represent Ghana.
Channel your anger to Addo D., he was there too.

Otan hunu will be the end of you people! https://t.co/rkvlVGryPM
— noblet, wa a. (@thenoblet) May 6, 2023

Don’t be an idiot, The Ghana flag should be there, They didn’t only represent the Ashanti Kingdom they represented us all, These things speak a lot. https://t.co/GhtTuKlrVH
— Son of Sadat (@chrisaydat) May 6, 2023

Whoever the protocol officer is did a great job not using the Ghana flag. People would’ve been up in arms (and rightly so) about him not being “king of Ghana”. He went as Asantehene and it is only right the Asante flag was used https://t.co/4l6HFfcao6
— Nymphadora Tonks’ Lover (@zaman_ijaz) May 6, 2023