A social media commentator Twene Jonas, and other detractors have incur the wrath of the Ashanti Youth Congress.
In a statement signed by its secretary, Jacob Oti Awere, and copied Ashantibiz, highlighted series of events by some individuals, who hide behind social media to propagate uncouth stories, that have deliberate attempt to denigrate Manhyia Palace and Otumfour Osei Tutu ll.
It reads:
“We are here to serve notice to such persons who seek to court cheap publicity by launching attacks on our traditional leaders, especially the person of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, the sixteenth occupant of the Gold (Golden) Stool. The illogical utterances and vituperations of these individuals are in relation to their frustrations over the lack of development and other challenges facing the country, including the menace of illegal mining, galamsey, and its attendant destruction of our environment. Indeed, most of their utterances have no logical or economic basis and smack of hidden agenda. These detractors of Asanteman, including some otherwise respected religious personalities, are seeking publicity for themselves by taking uncalled-for swipes at our King.
At this point, we wish to respectfully thank Nananom of Asanteman for so far maintaining their characteristic royal calm in the face of such monstrous provocations, and we humbly assure them that we shall carry the mantle of responding to the miscreants who have taken it upon themselves to soil the integrity of Asanteman. We, the people of Asanteman are up to the task, Nananom. In the same breath, we appeal to all Asantes, especially, the youth, to exercise restrain in the face of such provocations by our detractors.
We also want to advise certain news networks against airing the atrocious things that these people have been saying. We urge Ghanaians to shirk any interest in the on-going electronic vendetta against Asanteman.
It has taken us this long to come out on the matter because we took time to study the immediate cause of our deep concern to call for this media interface on the recent aberrant behaviour of these misguided elements, both home and abroad. They need to remember that in Ghana, Africa and other parts of the world, Kings and chiefs are held in sacrosanctity and, the constitutional right to free speech notwithstanding, there are more decent, decorous, civilized and non-vituperative methods of communicating to and about our traditional rulers. To try to lay blame on our revered King on economic grounds smacks of ignorance, hypocricy and hidden agenda of the masters that such people serve.
We are not unaware that though Otumfuo the Asantehene has been in the forefront of development in Ghana for the past two decades of his rule, he is no recipient of any tax revenues. Therefore, he cannot be held responsible for any perceived or real economic hardships people face in the country.
Let us all remember that our chiefs, and, for that matter, our King, does not issue mining concessions and permits. It is, therefore, most irresponsible and dishonest for anyone to blame the Asantehene for issues like unemployment, galamsey and deforestation.
In hindsight, we draw attention to the fact that that in the 1820’s, a British police sergeant made an insulting remark about the Asantehene. That careless remark sparked off a war. In modern times, such utterances are still frowned upon as taboo of the highest order, and we counsel persons making unguarded remarks on our King to cease forthwith.
Wherever there are monarchies in the world, they are found in the forefront of development initiatives, as is the case of our King.
Our King and our chiefs have been helping government in developmental efforts even though they are non-recipients of tax revenues. The Asantehene has been helping to promote development through various forms of advocacy and, where possible, investment and investments attraction.
The Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Education Fund has brought education in Ghana to a different level through the granting of scholarships to Ghanaian youth from primary school to tertiary levels. Through the fund, schools have been benefiting from the provision of school buildings, furniture and teaching and learning aids.
Scholarships have been granted to Ghanaian youth to undertake post-graduate research programmes in various academic disciplines, both home and abroad. This has been done across board and without any reference to the ethnic background of the beneficiaries. We also refer to the annual Otumfuo Teachers’ and Educational Workers’ Awards in which award recipients have been drawn from deprived areas of all the regions of Ghana.
We still recall to mind his assistance to governments in Ghana by supporting a World Bank loan facility for our country that has spanned the terms of four Presidents: J.A. Kuffuor, John Evans Atta-Mills, John Mahama and President Akuffo Addo.
As a peace-maker, Otumfuo was the chairman of three eminent chiefs that restored peace in Dagbon after fifteen years of seemingly intractable crisis. Let us also remember that before and after every election in Ghana during Otumfuo’s reign, he invites the leadership of ALL political parties to sign a peace pact to ensure peaceful elections and peace building in our country.
The unique culture of Asante plays a major role in the promotion of Ghana’s tourism industry. Therefore, any attempt to denigrate Asantehene and Asanteman would impact negatively on Ghana’s tourism industry.
The person of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has brought much respect not only to Asante but to Ghana, the whole of Africa and the African diaspora. Making disrespectful utterances on the Asantehene, therefore, reduces the local and international respectability of Ghana and Africa as whole.
Following on the sacrosanctity of our traditional rulers, we advise our self-appointed detractors to be more circumspect in communicating their sentiments.
For Asante as a people, we hold our King in the highest esteem and we view with much regret the illogical remarks of attention-seeking persons directed at our King. Otumfuo the Asante King considers every Ghanaian as his child, and we call on careless mouths to bring to an end their picking on the Otumfuo for their campaign of vilification. We sincerely believe that people who are casting aspersions at our King should direct their communications to the agencies responsible for the country’s development. We counsel such people that Asanteman will not sit down for any persons who have nothing productive to do to continue running their mouths off at the expense of our Kingdom. Our elders say in Twi, ‘ Asante nko koo basabasa. Yenoa ekoo ma no ben ansa na yako ko: We take time to synthesize situations before we take decisive steps to address them.
We have raised our hackles, waiting patiently and the enemies of Asante must be most cautious and circumspect. We have no desire to hit back at our self-appointed enemies and their sponsors in hiding. In somebody’s words, if they have nothing to do, they should leave Asanteman to enjoy peace for development.
We observe, as we have done previously, that chiefs do not grant mining concessions, so they should not be blamed for galamsey activities, let alone our King. We call to mind the recent stern admonition issued by Otumfuo the Asantehene to his chiefs that if they get themselves embroiled in illegal mining activities with its deleterious environmental effects, they stand the risk of getting destooled.
We would be glad if our self-appointed enemies pulled their attention off singling out Otumfuo for their ire, and divert their discussions and conversations into other more productive, development-focused areas of attention.
Otumfuo has brought great honour to Ghana and Africa. His recent address to the United Nations General Assembly on traditional governance and peace-building tremendously uplifted the image of Ghana and Africa in the eyes of the world community, and also brought respect to the African diaspora. Our King has received at his palace a large number of world leaders. He has also been received by Monarchs and Presidents around the world.
In conclusion, we affirm that in a pluralistic state such as Ghana, mutual respect is a prerequisite for peaceful co-existence”.
Oba nyansafo, yebu no be na yenka no asem.
Let there be peace in Asanteman and Ghana.
LONG LIVE OTUMFUO OSEI TUTU II.
LONG LIVE ASANTEMAN
LONG LIVE GHANA
THANK YOU
Jacob Oti Awere, Secretary, Tel 0543 04 6141
Source: Ashantibiz
