Mills Rejects Asantehene's Umbrella

President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday rejected an umbrella offered to him by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

The umbrella was to protect the president’s large entourage from the direct heat of the sun at the palace but it was rejected by the president’s security guards for no apparent reason.

Past presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor sat under those umbrellas decorated with the green, black and yellow colours of Asanteman each time they visited the Manhyia Palace. The rejection of the umbrella, which incidentally is the NDC’s symbols, nearly resulted in commotion as some palace officials took great offense at the action of the president’s security.

Instead of the large umbrellas, the presidential security guards insisted that a canopy be erected at the palace for the occasion for the president and his entourage.

But some aggrieved officials of the palace insisted the president’s group sit under the umbrella. The Manhyia officials managed to bring one of the large umbrellas to the durbar grounds for President Mills and other government officials.

But an attempt by the palace officials to bring the second umbrella to the durbar grounds to cover the rest of the president’s entourage almost resulted in a brawl between them and the security detail.

The security guards who were wearing mufti were seen seriously preventing the palace officials from bringing the second umbrella to the durbar grounds. This particular incident occurred at a time that both Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and President Mills had taken their seats for the programme to commence.

The development could have resulted in a free-for-all among the two feuding parties but Owusu Boateng, the Asantehene’s private secretary, intervened. Mr. Boateng, who was helpless about the situation, grabbed the microphone and announced “if they won’t allow you to bring the umbrella, take it back.”

The palace officials, at this moment, returned the umbrella for peace to prevail for the cultural event to officially get underway. The behaviour by the president’s security men sent shockwaves among Asante chiefs who had gathered at the palace in large numbers to welcome Prof. Mills to the region.

Some of the chiefs, especially the occupant of the Silver Stool, Daasebere Osei Bonsu, the Mamponghene and Nana Wiafe Akenten, the Offinsohene were seen openly expressing disgust at the turn of events.

Strangely, the Mamponghene, who spoke on behalf of Otumfuo, did not utter a word about the incident whilst addressing eth large crowd.

But some of the chiefs, who witnessed the whole episode, did not understand why the president’s security men could breach protocol at the Manhyia Palace.

The Asantehene had organized the grand durbar of chiefs and people of Asanteman at the forecourt of the Manhyia Palace to welcome President Mills, who is on a three-day working visit to the region.