OTUMFUO CALLS FOR STUDENT EXCHANGE PLAN (SPREAD)

THE Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has advocated the establishment of a student exchange programme in the field of tourism development between Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago.
He said with the experience of Trinidad and Tobago in the tourism industry over the years, Ghana stood to gain tremendously if such a programme was pursued.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu pointed out that such exchanges would not only establish a bond of friendship and cordial relations between the two countries but also enable the beneficiary students to learn about the cultural values, traditions and customs of both countries for their mutual benefit.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the remarks at a grand durbar organised at the Manhyia Palace yesterday in honour of the visiting President of Trinidad and Tobago, Prof George Maxwell Richards, and his wife, Mrs Richards.
The couple, who arrived in Ghana last Sunday, are on a four-day state visit to the country.
The durbar, which was attended by some paramount chiefs and queens, as well as some members of the Ghana Bar Association and the Bench in the Ashanti Region, saw Otumfuo Osei Tutu and his guest exchanging gifts as a way of establishing a bond of cordial relations between the Asanteman Council and the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
Prior to the visit to the Manhyia Palace, President Richards, who is a professor of Engineering, had visited the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he interacted with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor K.K. Adarkwa, and also explored the Faculty of Engineering to see at firsthand the impact the university was making on the sustainable development of the country.
The Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mrs Oboshie Sai Coffie; the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, and the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Madam Patricia Appiagyei, ushered the visiting President and his wife, as well as members of his entourage, into the Manhyia Place at 11:57 a.m. to pave way for them to witness the rich cultural values and traditions of the Asante Kingdom.
Among the chiefs who graced the occasion were the Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Sereboe, who spoke on behalf of the Asantehene; the Bantamahene, Baffour Asare Owusu Amankwatia; the Paramount Chief of the Bechem Traditional Area, Nana Fosu Gyeabuo; the Asokore Mamponghene, Nana Boakye Ansah Debrah; the Apiaduhene, Odeefuo Owusu Amoaye; the Abrankese Nyameanihene, Nana Owusu Panin Adusei, his Queen, Nana Akosua Nyantakyiwaa, and the Queen of Adanse, Nana Kwantwiwaa Apoma II.
Traditional drumming and dancing, as well as the rich culture of Asanteman, were in full display.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu also urged his guest to co-ordinate with his Ghanaian counterpart to establish a Ghana Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago as a way of enhancing the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He said it was equally important for Trinidad and Tobago to advise Ghana on how to develop its oil industry to sustain the country's socio-economic development.
In his remarks, President Richards commended Otumfuo Osei Tutu in particular and the Asante Kingdom in general for maintaining the dignity of the kingdom over the years.
"Every schoolchild in my country knows about the Asante Kingdom and its glorious past, especially the battle against the British which maintained the dignity and courage of the kingdom," he noted, adding, "Your fame has spread far and wide and I am happy to see such a rich culture at firsthand," he added.
President Richards commended Otumfuo for his contributions to health, industry and education and urged him to sustain it to accelerate the socio-economic development of Ghana.