- Céphas Bansah
-
Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah King of Hohoe, Gbi Traditional Ghana Reign 1992 – present Full name Céphas Kosi Bansah Titles "Superior and Spiritual Chief of the Ewe people" in Notse in Togo Wife Gabriele Bansah Royal anthem The grandfather of Togbe Ngoryifia Cephas Kosi Bansah was King before 
Céphas Bansah
Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah (born on April 22, 1948 in Hohoe, Gbi traditional Ghana in Hohoe) is a citizen from Ghana, entertainer and king.
He is also known as Céphas Bansah. Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah has made the decision to live in Germany. He travels about eight times per year by plane to Ghana and Hohoe, Gbi Traditional Ghana. In Europe some people call the king Cephas Bansah, while other people call him Céphas Kosi Bansah.
Contents
Biography
Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah was crowned in April 1992 as King of Hohoe and is ruler of 206,000 people in the African Volta Region. He grew up in Ghana and visited Germany in 1970 during a student exchange program.
His grandfather was King of Gbi Hohoe traditional area. After the death of his grandfather the elders and the kingmakers chose him as Ngoryifia which means King.
In an official statement Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah has explained his role as a King:
“The King is head of kingdom, chief administrator of the community, and head of society. He is the custodian of the stool’s land properties and he mediates between the ancestors and the living. The King’s role is to bring unity, progress, and development to his community, and he should settle disputes and misunderstanding between people. I took this responsibility for the wellbeing of my folk knowing that it would not be an easy accomplishment.”
Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah is known worldwide for his engagement as King of Hohoe to the development of the region of Gbi Hohoe traditional Ghana area and the support of its people as his duties.
Throughout the years he has been able to realize several supportive ventures. In Ludwigshafen, he was able through his good relations with the farmers to collect a container full of water pumps and pipes. They were shipped to Ghana and served to supply many people's homes with clean drinking water. Further items such as electricity poles and a new church bell for the Hohoe Evangelical Presbyterian Church were sent in subsequent containers.
He is also known as an entertainer and musician. He was on many television shows with almost every German television station such as the ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, 2nd German Television) "Fernsehgarten" and as a guest on many other national and international television shows even with the ORF (Television broadcaster) in Austria.
The King who takes care of people: The Longest Foot Bridge
An infrastructural improvement was achieved through the erection of a stable bridge over the river Dayi. Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah had canvassed for monetary support for the construction of a stable bridge and transferred the money to his brother Emanuel in Hohoe.
Covering the inauguration of the bridge, the Ghanaian Times at the time spoke of "The Longest Foot Bridge In Ghana".
A representative for the whole of Africa
Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah is known and welcome as a representative for Africa. In Germany and because of national and international extensive media coverage about the "Black King" who lived among the Germans allowed His Majesty King Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah to channel the interest in order to raise more funds for his charitable projects.
He gave many interviews on television, radio, and newspapers. In September 1995 his installation as the "Superior and Spiritual Chief of the Ewe people" in Notse in Togo – a recognition of his hard work, development achievements, and his continuous support for the Ewe people – was covered by the German television station ZDF.
His Majesty King Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah has explained: “After that, people approached over and over again with questions about Ghana and about other African states. These people had never had personal contact with an African before. Their initial reservations about the continent were dispelled, and they considered me a mediator and representative for the whole of Africa. They asked for advice about traveling, for commercial contacts, and how they can be supportive in numerous developmental ventures.”
Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah has three children Michael Kweku, Carlo Koku, and Katharina Akosua.
Ruling people from abroad in Germany
When he was a young man and before he was crowned as King, Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah had travelled to Germany and become a master. He earned two German Master Craftsman certificates to be able to run workshops of his own. The first was a Master Craftsman as mechanic for agricultural machinery and the second as mechanic for vehicles.
He has made the statement: “I had two reasons why I wanted to come to Germany: firstly, my interest in pursuing a career to use and reinforce the experience gained in my apprenticeship and secondly, to gain an insight into the "typical" German attitudes – the inflexible sense of duty, discipline, diligence, and ambition.”
He has married a German woman, Gabriele.
For the purpose of his official duties he is every day in contact with his family, friends and supporters in Hohoe, Gbi traditional Ghana by phone, fax and the internet.
The King who loves to entertain people
Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah is quite an unusual man, ruler and king and loves to entertain people and his audience. He has produced and published six CDs of his songs and music.
Books
The German author Horst O. Hermanni has written a book about the quite unusual life of His Majesty King Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah, with the title “Majestät im Blauen Anton”, ISBN 3-88325-591-2; ISBN 978-3-88325-591-0 .
Sources and references
- Book: Majestaet im blauen Anton by the author Horst Hermanni
- German Embassy, Accra, Ghana (Africa)
- Official web site of Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah
- IBS TV Liberty: King Céphas Bansah (1)
- IBS TV Liberty: King Céphas Bansah (2)
- IBS TV Liberty: King Céphas Bansah (3)
- NZZFOILIO.org, Switzerland
- International Children Help, Germany
- The Ewe People of Ghana And Togo
- abisz.genios.de
- ORF Austria, Vienna
- Echo Online, Germany
- delegationroyaumesanwi.fr.gd
- Charity Label, Germany
- Céphas Bansah, Wikipedia (DE)
- Céphas Bansah und Krebs-kranke Kinder
Categories:- Living people
- 1948 births
- Reigning monarchs
- Government of Togo
- Ghanaian politicians
- Ghanaian royalty
- African kings
- Ghanaian expatriates in Germany
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
