His Royal Highness Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has been dragged into the news, when he was actually not involved in the issues raised.
One of his subjects, Akwasi Addai Odike from Adumakase Kese, recently granted an interview on air, specifically on Oyerepa Radio (FM), and was very vivid in his pronouncements in which he allegedly accused the traditional leaders of Asanteman, including the king, of their involvement in galamsey.
As a presidential hopeful in this country, Odike spoke which such passion which could suggest that if given the mandate to rule Ghana, galamsey would disappear from the surface of this country the day after he is sworn into office.
The way Odike spoke and even not permitting the host to correct him on one or two issues, indicated that he had concrete evidence of the involvement of the Asantehene in this illegal practice which is destroying Ghana’s ecosystem and water bodies.
He was very emphatic that the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, was also involved in this act and went on to blame all the traditional leaders of Asanteman of either being directly involved or standing by and given blessing to galamsey activities, there.
This certainly did not go down well with Asanteman, and some of the elders decided to close down the radio station.
Then hell, broke loose in Ghana. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s name was dragged into this and people kept wondering on social media whether the king had any right to close down a station.
Looking at this turn of event, I will like to begin with Odike, himself. Upon all his rantings on air, it looks like he was just talking on speculations and that he never had any evidence to accuse any of those he mentioned as being involved in galamsey.
Odike clearly mentioned for a fact as if he was present at the place that Asante Bediatuo was doing galamsey.
When the lawyer and secretary to the president had his lawyers write to Odike, our presidential hopeful quickly retracted that statement and went pleading for mercy and forgiveness and adding that he was only acting on hearsay and that indeed he had no evidence to prove that Bediatuo misconducted himself.
With this the matter should have been closed, since it is quite obvious that Odike had no proof of what he saying and just acting on mere speculations. But he had punched his own king in the face and had to answer for that.
Seriously, Ghanaians had lived under a head-of-state who acted on speculations and even went on to punish the innocent only to come out and pronounce them clean and without any guilt almost forty years after he sent them to their ancestors.
I do not think Ghanaians want such presidents ever again and so I will advice Odike to hang up his oratory skills and quit politics.
The closing down of the Oyerepa FM set social media on fire with people asking whether the Otumfuo has such powers in a democratic state like Ghana.
And so it was, when someone who was identified as a private legal practitioner from the Volta Region, by name Togbe Kofi Kaka Esq., came out to give seven reasons why he thinks the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is more powerful than the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
His first point about presidents, ministers and MPs feeling more obliged to provide accounts of their works in Ashanti region to the Asantehene than to Parliament is neither here or there.
Whenever these political office holders meet with chiefs and people at durbars, they speak about things done in their traditional areas. It is not only in Manhyia.
And also, with the Asantehene saying no court could overturn his decision, I believe the Otumfuo spoke on some particular subject matter about people violating the law and may be hiding behind some powers. So, he was emphatic that any directives he gave cannot be overturned by the courts.
The GBA knew what the king said was legally factual and so did not challenge his statement.
Lobbying for positions in government and state institutions is not in the purview of the Asantehene alone, so this point has no basis.
And as directed by the president, all chief executives of the assemblies must be in the good books of the traditional authorities.
So, what is wrong in the case of the KMA Chief Executive and the Ashanti Regional Minister being in the good books of the Asantehene?
As for someone to be elected as president, must have massive votes from Ashanti region and so the Asantehene is involved in this, is childish talk.
The Otumfuo has never been seen going round mandating that people in his land must vote for this or that candidate. He is the father of all and so he would not show any discrimination.
Unlike some traditional areas in Eweland where top traditional leaders can pronounce that under a certain government, Ewes were treated as second class citizens in Ghana, which was not true, no one would hear this coming directly or indirectly from the Asantehene.
I want to believe that Lawyer Kaka has been misinformed about presidents going to Manhyia’s organised functions and wait for the arrival of the Otumfuo.
What I know and from the few times I went to Manhyia for state functions, the king would host the president and high personalities in his sitting room, while the other guests were seated at where the function would be taken place.
At the appropriate time the Otumfuo, the president and the other highly important guests would walk in and take their seats for the function to begin.
Something lawyer Togbe Kofi Kaka must educate himself on is that the Asantehene is not a chief, in the sense of chieftaincy we have here in Ghana.
The Asantehene is the sole head of the ethnic group of Akans called Asantes, and all the various groups of peoples who identify themselves as Asantes, each is led by an Obrepong, or a Senior Chief (Paramount Chief), are directly under the Asantehene.
In the Ga state, there is no leader who unites all the various groups, so each one has a paramount chief even though all of the Gas speak one language.
Also, in Eweland, there are various groups who are led by paramount chiefs and together all speak Ewe.
The same is the case of the Akyems. In the examples just given, each group stands on its own.
This is not in the case of Asanteman. The Asantehene is the leader of the entire Asanteman, which spans in five regions and even across the border, in La Cote d’Ivoire.
So, by the role he plays in Asanteman, the Asantehene is a king and not a chief, he has no peers. This is recognised in the Constitution and in the National House of Chiefs.
Sometime ago, the Asantehene was the President of the National House of Chiefs and no one contested him. This went on until some chiefs strongly suggested that the position of the president of the House must be contested for.
When this was made law, the Asantehene stepped down from the House and to date, no Asantehene has taken a seat in the National House of Chiefs.
And as the king and lord over Asanteman, all chiefs are under him and no chief can be installed without the Asantehene accepting his nomination. This is how powerful and unique his status his.
The question is, can the Asantehene close down any business in Asanteman? We have in the Asantehenes, leaders who are law abiding, fair and just who do not want to throw their weights about, unlike some chiefs in Ghana, we know. So, if the Asantehene orders for the closing down of some business in Asanteman, it may be good for the entire Asanteman. It would be done to maintain sanity in the kingdom.
What Ghanaians should be assured of is that Oyerepa Radio (FM) will soon be back on air. Maybe the reason for the closure is to make sure that some sanity is instilled in journalism in Ghana.
One cannot host a programme and allow the guests to be making speculative and inflammatory statements that can generate insanity and chaos in the country. This is not to occur in Asanteman that is what the Asantehene may be telling Ghanaians.
Akwasi Addai Odike, a native of Asanteman, had done something which is not permitted, especially of an adult and person of high ambitions to be president of the republic. Such a person should not go about talking by heart.
He must go to Manhyia and state his case and accept whatever punishment would be passed unto him. Ghanaians must stand up against any of such recklessness by our journalists who term it freedom of speech.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
