The Office of the Asantehene's Private Secretary

The Office of the Asantehene's Private Secretary took its origin from the reign of Nana Agyemang Prempeh I. When Nana Prempeh was exiled to the Seychelles Island he engaged the services of one of his children as his Private Secretary. He assisted him in his correspondence with the British Colonial Administration in the Gold Coast, the Governor of the Seychelles Islands and his family he had left in Kumasi . His son and his first Private Secretary, Mr. James Prempeh recorded the history of Asante which was narrated by Nana Prempeh I when he was in the Seychelles Island in 1907.

On his return, Nana Prempeh used his Private Secretary to write an account of his exile life (copy available at Manhyia Archives). When Nana Prempeh I was re-instated as the Omanhene of Kumasi in 1926 by the British Colonial Administration he continued to keep the services of Private Secretary. The office of the Private Secretary to the Asantehene has been in existence from the reigns of Nana Prempeh I, Nana Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, Nana Opoku Ware II up to the present monarch, Nana Osei Tutu II.

The functions of the Asantehene's Private Secretary include the management of the Asantehene's personal and business correspondence; receiving visitors of the Asantehene; keeping the King's diary and arranging his appointments and engagements. The office is responsible for the king's travel arrangements, booking of hotels, etc. The Private Secretary prepares speeches for the Asantehene, attends meetings and records the minutes. He also supervises the staff of the Asantehene's Secretariat. The Private Secretary generally relieves the King of many of his routine business and private matters.

6.1 The records of the Asantehene's Private Secretary's Office.

The records of the Asantehene's Private Secretary's office have been put into seven (7) classes to facilitate their use. The records include mainly the personal letters of and business letters from Nana Agyeman Prempeh I to the present monarchy. The personal files of the kings are also available in the Archives. Minutes of meetings, speeches, records on visits, travels and appointments of the Asantehene are also available at the Archives. Personal letters of Nana Prempeh I, Nana Prempeh II and Nana Opoku Ware are also available.

Note:

Searcher's should note that due to the complex nature of the Asantehene's Administration some records which should have been directed to the Registrar of the Kumasi Traditional Council and Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs have been wrongly sent to the Office of the Asantehene's Private Secretary, it is therefore necessary for the searchers to go through the lists of the records of the Private Secretary's office to look for some matters relating to Chieftaincy and native affairs.

The Asantehene's Private Secretary's Office records are identified as MAG 2.