Doubtful declassification of Otumfuo leaders: a setback for his 20-year reign – Pr Osei Kwarteng

General News on Thursday, March 21, 2019

Source: kasapafmonline.com

2019-03-21

One historian, Professor Kwame Osei Kwarteng, said that the autocratic Asantehene regime, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, particularly in resolving conflicts between rulers in his kingdom, had undermined his 20-year rule.

According to him, Asantehene has since then climbed the very domineering and repressive gold stool, thus disenchanting some chiefs on very debatable bases.

The Osantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, asked the chiefs of his kingdom to make a frank badessment of his management, 20 years after his arrival on the golden stool.

He told an Asanteman Council meeting that good feedback would serve as a guide for the future.

On April 26, 1999, 49-year-old Barima Kwaku Duah was arrested on the 16th Asantehene as Otumfuo Osei Tutu II stool. It was perceived as the return of Otumfuo Osei Tutu I, founder of the modern state of Asante.

His coronation saw the creation of the Otumfuo Education Fund, intended especially for the less fortunate, one of his first initiatives.

With other projects funded by international funds, channeled through Asantehene, it has changed the lives of many people in rural Ghana.

The recent end of the 17-year-old Dagbon leader conflict in Dagbon, which resulted in the seeding of a new Ya-Na, is certainly one of Otumfuo's achievements.

He led the Committee of Three Eminent Leaders to develop a road map for peace. But now, Otumfuo thinks that the time has come for his supreme leaders, with whom he is trying to evaluate it.

But Professor Kwame Osei Kwarteng, head of the Department of History at the University of Cape Coast, congratulated the Assantehene for her good works and stressed that the king would do well if he accepted the divergent views.

"I've recently seen in the media a report about Asantehene's accomplishments, including cheating problem solving, but that's where I blame her the most." When he ascended the throne, he disencumbered several chiefs and replaced new ones. Even when he pronounces on a chieftaincy conflict and that a faction feels treated unfairly and wants to appeal the decision, he does not allow it to be the owner of the stool and he decides who to give it to, whatever the person. This is where I think Otumfuo did not do well. "

Professor Kwame Osei Kwarteng added, "Some Asanteman stools have a great history. An example is the Akwaboah stool that was created by Okomfo Anokye and Osei Tutu, but Asantehene stole the stole from the legitimate family and entrusted it to another family who claims that the late Asantehene Opoku Ware set them up the stool. But everyone knows that's not true. Some Asanteman people have the feeling that Otumfuo has been fooled, which could reduce their loyalty to Asanteman. So it's there that I think Otumfuo needs to improve his game and succeed some of these things. If you are going to interview people, you will realize that many of them are unhappy with some of Otumfuo's decisions, but they are not able to speak. "