Details of the symbol of authority of the Ashanti Region, the Asanteman flag

There are 16 regions in Ghana, namely Greater Accra, Central, Western, Northern, Ashanti, Eastern, Volta, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah, North East, Oti and the Western North.

Each Region has its own language, culture, and food that distinguish them from each other.

Today, GhanaWeb takes a look at the Ashanti Region and the particular thing that makes the Asanteman a unique region.

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.

The same colours are also seen on the commemorative gold of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on Sunday, December 12, 2021, launched the 24-carat commemorative gold coins as part of celebrating 22 years of his contribution to the peace, stability and development of Ghana.

The coins are of 99.99 per cent assay at 24-carat fine gold, with a diameter of 37mm and weight of 31.104 grammes each. It is described by the organizers as the ‘treasured collectors articles’.

“The face of the gold coins bears the image of the Asantehene, with the Adinkra symbols ‘Bi Nka Bi’ and ‘Mpatapo’, which symbolise peace, harmony and reconciliation.

“The reverse bears an image of the Golden Stool (Sika Dwa),” a statement from the organisers said.

Another example is the yet-to-be-launched Ashanti airline picture that went viral months ago.

Among other things, the Ashantis hold their flag in high esteem.

On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the flag was displayed on the streets of Bantama when the youth took to the streets to protest what they described as the complete neglect of this government in attending to developmental projects in the region.