A segment of the Ghanaian population is voicing dissatisfaction in the wake of the recent UK decision to loan back looted artifacts to the Asante Kingdom instead of opting for a permanent return.

Numerous individuals in Ghana are dismayed that artifacts of historical and cultural importance will not be entirely repatriated. The loan agreements, spanning an initial three years with the possibility of extending for an additional three, were negotiated with Otumfo Osei Tutu II. The designated display location for these items is the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, intended to commemorate his silver jubilee.

Certain UK national museums are legally prohibited from permanently repatriating contested artifacts in their possession. Thus, these loan arrangements are perceived as a mechanism to facilitate the return of objects to their countries of origin.

The decision has elicited a range of reactions among Ghanaians who had anticipated the complete restitution of the looted artifacts. Tristram Hunt, the Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), clarified to the BBC that the cultural partnership should not be misconstrued as a surreptitious form of restitution. It explicitly does not seek to restore permanent ownership of the artifacts to Ghana.

The intricacies of this approach have sparked varied responses from Ghanaians on social media, with many expressing their views on the matter.