The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on Friday, (August 24) paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at Jubilee House, the seat of the nation’s presidency.
Welcoming Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo noted that the Asantehene, since 1999, has visited each of his predecessor Presidents of the 4th Republic, and was happy that “this is the first time that we have seen such a powerful delegation of Asanteman here at Jubilee House.”
President Akufo-Addo used the opportunity to thank the Asantehene for the role he played in ensuring that the events of 7th December, 2016, were given a peaceful outcome.
“I know all that took place behind the scenes, the role you played in making sure that everything went very smoothly in our country, and that the stability and peace, which has become associated with our nation, was maintained. The Ghanaian people will continue to be grateful to you for your intervention,” he said.
The ability of the Asantehene “to reduce tension and smoothen things over”, according to the President, was again evident on Thursday, 23rd August, 2018, during the 75th anniversary celebration of the death of Nana Ofori Atta, at Kyebi.
President Akufo-Addo stressed that the presence of Otumfo in Kyebi is a signal that despite “the attempt on some people’s part to put problems between the two traditional states”, i.e. Asanteman and Okyenman, there is no problem, adding that “on the contrary, unity and solidarity were the watch words in the relationship between the two states.”
According to President Akufo-Addo, “the lesson that was given in Kyebi is a lesson that should be taken across Ghana about the need for unity amongst our people, and for us to understand that, yes, we may be of diverse origins, history and culture, but essentially we are part and parcel of the Ghanaian family, and that is what we need to hold on to, to maintain the unity, coherence and stability of our nation.”
The events at Keybi, the President added, should be a signal to the people of Ghana of the Asantehene’s commitment to the “One Ghana Project”, and it is one for which the Ghanaian people appreciate and thank him for.
For his part, the President noted that the events of Kyebi signalled also his determination to ensure that all parts of the country are touched by the programme of transformation and development that his government is committed to.
“Every part of Ghana will benefit from my mandate. We don’t want it to be a mandate that will be exclusive to one side or another, so that when things need to be done, they will be done on their merit, and not as the result of any particular inclination for one set of Ghanaians or another,” he added, the reason why he was happy to commission the Kumasi Roads Facelift Project, which will construct and rehabilitate some 260 kilometres of roads in the Kumasi Metropolis.
In thanking Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for “the steadfast support given the government over the implementation of the Free SHS policy”, he noted that it has not been an easy matter for the nation in finding the resources and the determination to do it.
“But, I believe, if for nothing, my period on the stage of Ghana should be identified with ensuring that every Ghanaian child, no matter the circumstances of their birth, no matter where they live in our country, has access to a minimum of secondary school education, to be able to propel them to live in the 21st century.”
“It is a commitment I made, and I am not turning back on it. It is a commitment the Ghanaian people have accepted as part of the educational architecture of the country,” the President stressed.
President Akufo-Addo was equally grateful for the Otumfuo’s support for the fight against illegal mining, popularly referred to as galamsey, and reiterated the commitment of Government to win the fight, and ensure “the sanitization of our environment, of our water bodies, that all of us want to see.”
The President was also confident that under the leadership of the Asantehene, a solution will be found to the Dagbon impasse.
“I am hoping that, very soon, the people of Ghana will hear from your lips that a roadmap has been finally agreed upon, that will allow us to come out of this crisis, and install a new Ya Naa in furtherance of the peace and cohesion of Dagbon. It will be one of the most important contributions that you can make to the stability of our nation.”
He assured Otumfuo Osei Tutu II that his administration will give him whatever support is required for this important task.
“My wish is that, when the story of our country’s history is being told, it should be said that it was during the time of two friends, Otumfuo Osei Tutu and President Akufo-Addo, that Ghana and Asanteman were put on the path of progress and prosperity,” President Akufo-Addo added.
