(3/3) “It’s not easy being king. I have to follow many of the...

(3/3) “It’s not easy being king.  I have to follow many of the old rituals.  I cannot be seen in public without an escort.  I must always eat alone.  And the power isn’t what it used to be.  We’re living in a different time.  We aren’t battling for territory anymore.  We aren’t petitioning the colonies.  The palace still rules on minor disputes, but mainly my power is indirect.  I advocate for my people when the national government is setting its agenda.  I enjoy the role.  I want to improve the lives of all my subjects.  I want them to have clean water.  I want them to have quality education.  But my main focus is development.  I want our kingdom to become a tourist hub.  The income would transform so many lives, and we have so much to offer.  We have a beautiful river.  We have a great history.  And we have some of the oldest artifacts in Ghana.  In 1680 the Dutch built a castle on our shores, and my people captured it.  It was the first time in history that a black man owned a castle.  We held it for several years.  Eventually we gave it back, on one condition: they had to let us keep the keys.”
(Akwamufie, Ghana)