“They used to send us for ice cream” - Mahama Shares Childhood Tales With Otumfuo

President John Mahama has recounted a personal life story of his early childhood palship with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, revealing a long-standing bond that dates back to their days at the Ringway Estates, Osu.

During a courtesy call to the seat of government by Otumfuo Osei Tutu on Monday, June 2, President Mahama offered a rare glimpse into his formative years, sketching a vivid picture of vicinity camaraderie and unsuspecting links to future national personalities.

“I was a little boy growing up in Ringway Estates, Osu, and my father’s house was directly opposite Nana Aduhene’s house,” he recalled. “Nana Aduhene’s children—Kojo Botsuo, Kwame Nkrumah, and others—were our friends.”

Mahama expatiated that Ato Ahwoi and Kwame Ahwoi, now famous political figures, were also among those who frequented the neighbourhood as part of Nana Aduhene’s extended family.

“They used to come on holidays from school and spend time there,” he said. “There was another of Nana’s children who came to spend holidays—we used to call him ‘Kweku Kweku’. It turned out that he was Otumfuo.”

He fondly remembered that as the younger boys, they were often sent on errands by their older peers.

“They were a bit older than us, so they used to send us to buy ice cream and all kinds of things for them,” Mahama uttered with a smile.

Amazed at the stool

Mr Mahama also touched on his astonishing years later when Otumfuo Osei Tutu was enstooled as the Asantehene, following the demise of Otumfuo Opoku Ware II.

When I became a minister and they were enstooling the next Otumfuo, I said, ‘But this is Aduhene’s boy—he’s from Sefwi. How does he become the paramount chief of the Ashantis?’

He explained that it was later revealed to him that Otumfuo’s uncle had sent him to be groomed for kingship at a young age, which explained his frequent holiday visits to the Ringway residence.

“Apparently, his uncle sent him to be groomed as a king. That’s why he used to come to Ringway on holidays—because Omanhene was the one looking after him,” Mahama explained.

A Profound Relationship in Time

Mahama revealed that his long-standing relationship with Otumfuo goes back to these formative years and was shaped not by politics but by a shared childhood and mutual respect forged in those early days.

“Our relationship goes back to when I was a child,” he vented simply.