King of West African tribe returns to landscaping job in Canada

The King of a West African tribe has returned to Canada to resume his job as a gardener – in order to raise money to provide healthcare for his new "subjects".

Eric Manu became royalty when his 67-year-old uncle, Dat, passed away last year.

After living in Canada for three years with his wife and small son, he moved back to southern Ghana to take up his birth right.

But now the chief of the Akan tribe, located in the village of Adansi Aboabo no. 2, has returned to the North American country and taken his old job back.

In an interview with CBC Manu said he was disturbed by the tribe's poor facilities and the indifference showed to them by the Ghanaian government. (Tribe chief. Eric Manu in his tribal attire address his people in Ghana recently. He has temporarily relinquished control of the Akan tribe in order to raise money them in Canada )

'The [Ghanaian] government wasn't really concentrating on those villages, cottages or hinterlands. Their focus was mainly in the cities. And that was really, really, really disturbing,' he told the On The Coast show. 'They were having challenges with their borehole water system, electricity, telecommunications network… the hospital, poor facilities.' The landscaper left his home country in 2012 after a marrying a Canadian woman whom he met in Ghana.

He inherited the position of chief when his uncle died last year and said moving back to lead his people taught him many life lessons

'I feel like I am for the people and I'm accountable and responsible and they look up to me,' he said.

(Eric Manu left British Columbia to become chief of his tribe after his uncle died last year. However he feels he can better serve his people by raising money in Canada )

(Back to work. Manu has gone back to his old landscaping job despite have a taste of royal life in his native Ghana )

(Behinds are boxes and bags donated from To the Moon and Back Foundation)

Manu's return has surprised many in his community although he says he has only temporarily relinquished his tribal duties in Ghana.

'Sometimes we go to the (job) site and they say, "You are the chief. I saw you on TV. Why are you doing the landscaping?"' he told CTV News. 'This is humbleness you understand. Anytime I'm in Canada, I'm proud to work for my boss.'

(Manu's boss Susan Watson started the To the Moon and Back Foundation to raise money and donations to the tribe before he left last year)

The foundation already shipped a container with medical supplies, school materials and clothing that arrived in Ghana this spring.

'The whole village was quite poor. The clinic only has a midwife and a few nurses. There is no doctor on site,' said Watson.

(Supplies from afar. The food, clothes, books and other needed equipment made it to Ghana from Canada)

Ref: King of West African tribe returns to gardening job in Canada (dailymail) Photo Credit-Dailymail