British Museum dey consider to 'borrow' Ghana Asante palace gold from 1874

Di ruler of Ghana Asante pipo don ask British Museum to return gold items wey dey dia hands to im kontri.

Di Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, recently meet di museum director Dr Hartwig Fischer for discussions.

Di items wey dey di museum hand include work wey di British take from Asante palace for Kumasi during war wit di British for 1874.

Di British Museum tell BBC say im dey "explore di possibility of borrowing di items" to Ghana.

Di Ghana ruler meet Dr Fischer last week, afta im di Coronation of King Charles.

Ghana goment don set up Restitution Committee to torchlight di returning of items wey dem take from Asante Palace wey now dey for different pipo and institutions hand around di world.

Nana Oforiatta Ayim, wey dey di committee, tell BBC say: "Dis objects na mainly sacred ones and dia return no be just about restitution. Na also about reparation and repair, for places wia dem from take dem, but also di pipo wey do di taking."

She add say dem dey look for new relationship "wey no dey based on exploitation or oppression, but on equity and mutual respect".

Last Thursday discussions for di British Museum na di first ever meeting between di Asantehene and di museum director Dr Fischer.

According to di British Museum, Asantehene ask make dem loan am items wey be symbols of office belonging to im forefathers.

For di 19th Century, di Asante state bin be one of di few African states wey seriously resist di European colonisers.

Im independence end for 1874 wen one British expeditionary force march enta Kumasi to revenge one tok tok pesin for di British Museum tell BBC: "Our director and deputy director bin happy to welcome His Royal Majesty Osei Tutu II (di Asantehene) to di museum during im visit to di UK for di Coronation of King Charles III."

She add say di British Museum "dey explore di possibility of lending items from di collection to mark the 150th anniversary of di end of di third Anglo-Asante war, as well as to support celebrations for Asantehene Silver Jubilee next year".

For some Ghana pipo however, loans no ever fit be long term solution.

Oforiatta Ayim, wey also be special adviser to Ghana Culture Minister, say: "Loans fit be di first step as pas say dem go fit open tok tok for di kain of institutions and structures wey dey slow to change.

"At di end of di day, objects like di ones wey dem bin take for 1874, dem take dem under terribly violent circumstances… e get need for honesty, accountability and action".

She add say di home of di objects na "undeniably di places wia dem from take dem" although dem fit to lend am back to British institutions for future.

London Horniman Museum return 72 items wey bin dey im hand back to im owner Nigeria last year.

Durin dat time, Nick Merriman, di Horniman Museum director, tell BBC say e get "moral argument" to return dem. Im say: "We dey see changes around not just restitution and repatriation, but museums to dey accept dia colonial history".

But some of UK most recognised institutions, including British Museum, no fit to make dis kain decisions becos di law prevent dem.

Di British Museum Act of 1963 ban di museum from di "disposal of objects" except in very specific circumstances.

However, e dey free to loan items, if e believe say di items no go damage.

Oda kontris wey want dia items back

Di British Museum don dey under increasing pressure in recent years to return di items wey dey dia hands back to dia kontris of origin.

Greece demand for British museum to return di Parthenon Sculptures, wey dm also sabi as di Elgin Marbles, na di most high-profile example for dis contested debate.

Na di diplomat and soldier Lord Elgin remove dem for di 19th Century and later di British goment buy am and place am for British Museum.

Restitution issues dey more commonly applied to kontris wey experience colonial conflict.

Ethiopia want British Museum to return ceremonial crosses, weapons, jewellery, sacred altar tablets plus oda items wey dem take from Maqdala for di north of di kontri during British military action for 1868.

Nigeria goment don also formally ask di museum to return 900 Benin Bronzes.

Na specialist guilds wey bin dey work for di royal courts of di Oba or King of Benin Kingdom from di 16th beautiful bronze and brass sculptures.

Na wit force dem bin take remove many of dem wen di British capture di ancient city for 1897.