[ 2011-12-05 ]

Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

Asantehene blames NDC, NPP for Dagbon crisis
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has blamed
the two biggest political parties - National
Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) - for the difficulty in resolving the
Dagbon crisis.

He said while the Committee of Eminent Chiefs,
which he chaired, spent time and energy, sometimes
at odd times, to help bring lasting peace to
Dagbon, politicians from the two parties
continuously stoked the fires for political gains.


“I want to stress that politicians can never
resolve this protracted Dagbon chieftaincy crisis
and they better stay behind to allow the
traditional rulers and the Dagbon people
themselves to resolve the matter,” he said.

The Asantehene, who was speaking at a grand durbar
to mark the 40th anniversary of the enstoolment of
the Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, at Juaben in
the Ashanti Region last Saturday, expressed
concern that while the NDC said they were for
Andanis, the NPP insisted they supported the
Abudus.

Otumfuo pointed out that but for the negative
activities of politicians; his committee would
have put the issue to rest by now.

Mincing no words about the headache politicians
were giving him over the Dagbon crisis, he said it
was time for them to back off, stressing that he
could not continue to play a lead role in the
settlement process if the situation persisted.

It was culture at its best at Juaben as Nananom
were dressed in the best of clothes and citizens
of the town and well-wishers filled every space at
the durbar ground.

The presence of the Vice-President, Mr John
Dramani Mahama, added colour to the occasion,
while key personalities from the political
parties, including the NPP flag bearer for the
2012 presidential elections, Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo, also took part in the festivities.

Stressing the role of chieftaincy in national
development, the Asantehene challenged Nananom to
give meaning to the stools they occupied by
seeking the welfare of their subjects.

A good chief, he noted, was not the one who put on
beautiful cloths but the one who lead his people
to chart a path of development.

It was in that vein that he congratulated Nana
Siriboe on being a worthy Omanhene.

The Juaben Traditional Area, Otumfuo noted, had
seen tremendous development under the Omanhene and
urged him to continue with the spirit in the years
ahead.

When he mounted the podium, the Vice-President
Mahama said the world had changed and today people
had become so enlightened that they wanted their
chiefs to do what would bring appreciable level of
development to them and their communities.

He indicated that traditional rulers had
significant roles to play in national development
which was why the government always recognised
them as partners in development.

Mr Mahama pointed out that since Ghana was bigger
than any single individual, all manner of people
must live within the laws of the land.

He said as the nation entered the election year,
it behooved everyone to avoid acts that could
disturb the peace of the nation.

The government, for its part, would do everything
to ensure that the elections were held in an
atmosphere of peace, he gave the assurance.

Mr Mahama commended the Asantehene for the
laudable role he had played in trying to restore
peace to Dagbon and promised that the government
would support his committee in its work.

For his part, the Juabenhene enumerated some of
the development projects the area had benefited
from under his leadership in education, health and
employment creation and information and
communications technology among others.

He commended the people of the traditional area
for the support given him in the past 40 years and
expressed the hope that they would continue to
throw their weight behind him.

Source - MyjoyOnline

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