Accra: Tucked away in the Central Region of Ghana lies a town most people would never have heard of, were it not for two extraordinary distinctions. Assin Kushea is Ghana's cleanest town, and it sits on the same ground as what is regarded as the largest palace in West Africa. The man behind both achievements is Nana Prah Agyensaim VI, Paramount Chief of the Owirenkyi Traditional Area.
According to Ghana Web, when Nana Prah Agyensaim VI ascended the throne, he made a quiet but defining resolution, solving one of Ghana's most stubborn problems - sanitation - and building a palace so grand it has become a tourist attraction in its own right. On the sanitation front, Nana traced Ghana's littering problem not to laziness or indifference, but to an old, deeply ingrained habit. He noted that the habit of throwing away leaves after eating had transitioned into a problematic practice with the advent of plastic, leading to littering.
This problem-solving mindset transformed Assin Kushea into the cleanest town in Ghana. The sprawling Assin Kushea Palace, which extends over 7.4 acres, is a testament to ambition and artistry. Featuring a botanical garden, a zoo, a massive courtyard, and several rooms filled with royal artifacts, the palace is a marvel. Statues of dogs, representing Nana's Aduana Clan's totem, are scattered across the courtyard, and the walls are adorned with African proverbs and cultural imagery that narrate the stories of the people and their traditions.
Significantly, Nana Prah Agyensaim VI has stated that he does not intend to personally reside in the palace upon its completion. The structure is being built to promote tourism and put Assin Kushea on the map. The grand vision of Nana Prah Agyensaim VI was highlighted in an episode of People and Places on GhanaWeb TV, where the host, Etsey Atisu, interviewed the chief on the palace grounds.
Some observers believe that when completed, the Assin Kushea Palace may not just be the biggest in West Africa; it could be the biggest on the entire African continent.