Photos: Meet the Ghanaian King who is also a mechanic in Germany, He rules his people through Skype

Even though Ghana is has a democratic system now, the traditional kings still have an important function within the communities as carers of their people

67 year old King Togbe Ngoryifia Cephas Kosi Bansah pictured at his mechanic workshop in Germany is the superior and spiritual chief of Ewe people of Gbi kingdom in Eastern Ghana. He may be a king in his country but he works as a full-time mechanic in Germany. He governs his people over Skype.

The 67-year-old’s official royal status is ‘King Togbe Ngoryifia Cephas Kosi Bansah’ – but he spends most of his time in oily overalls fixing cars

Céphas grew up in Ghana but he moved to Germany in 1970 before he was appointed king. His kingdom consists of 300,000 Ewe people. He originally moved to Germany when his grandfather, the then king, encouraged him to train there as a mechanic.

After finishing his studies and gaining full citizenship, he settled and set up his own garage in Ludwigshafen. He continued living a peaceful life until 1987 when he received a Fax which would change his life forever.

His grandfather, the King of Hohoe, had died and Bansah’s father and eldest brother were deemed unfit to rule because they were left-handed, which the Ewe people considered to be ‘unclean’. This meant that Céphas was his grandfather’s successor, and the new king.

King Bansah is pictured with his son Carlo Bansah (left), his daughter Katharina Bansah (centre) and his wife Gabriele Bansah (right)

He now lives in Ludwigshafen with his wife Gabriele Bansah, 57 and his two children Carlo and Katharina, continuing his job as a mechanic and his role as King. He uses Skype to govern his people and still visits Ghana up to eight times per year.

Dressed in all his royal finery, Céphas Bansah, helps to govern more than two million Ghanaian and Togolese people

Despite being regarded as a ‘superior and spiritual chief of Ewe people’ in Togo, he also works full-time mechanic in Germany – governing his people over Skype

He now lives in Ludwigshafen with his wife Gabriele Bansah, 57 and his two children Carlo and Katharina, continuing his job as a mechanic and his role as King

Ornate: His kingdom, Gbi in Eastern Ghana on the border of Togo, consists of 300,000 Ewe people

Marriage: King Bansah and his German wife Gabriele are pictured above on their wedding day in 2000

Regal: King Bansah (pictured) leads two very contrasting lives as a part-time monarch and a full-time monarch