Use creative energies to improve living conditions
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on Ghanaians to rekindle their creative energies and enterprising spirits to build a strong and industrious nation that will improve the living conditions of the people.
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He described as a tragedy the manner in which Ghanaians, like the Asantes, had allowed their innovative energies and creative minds to move into a state of hibernation and remained dormant in their systems.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu was addressing the grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the Asante Kingdom at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of his enstoolment as the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool.
The climax of the three-month celebration attracted high-profile personalities, including President John Dramani Mahama and former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor.
Also in attendance were former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, current and former ministers of state, members of the Diplomatic Corps and royals from other nations.
Rich history
Interspersing his speech with slices of rich Asante history, the Otumfuo narrated how the people of the great Asante Kingdom conceived, built and sustained their kingdom through wars.
He said the history of the kingdom was replete with men and women of valour whose patriotism knew no bounds and whose sacrifices were beyond measure.
He said currently naked valour alone could not win battles; overcoming recent challenges required creative minds to plan and innovative and enterprising spirits to execute for success the battles against poverty, ignorance and diseases.
The Asantehene said at the end of the last century, the Asantes renounced wars, decommissioned their arms and adopted creative minds and innovative spirits that contributed about 50 per cent to build the economy of the then Gold Coast through agriculture and timber.
He said Kumasi was exclusively built by the people and stood as a lasting tribute to their creativity.
Charter Boxes
He was unhappy that “these creative energies and enterprising spirits which propelled Asanteman and gave birth to the economic powerhouse that Kumasi was once was appear to have deserted us”.
“We have become addicted to the new phenomenon of a talking craft called politics that has drained our people of all the creativity and enterprise and replaced the tax masters who produced food and timber with the thought masters who are feeding us on air,” he added.
The consequences of the change in attitude, the Asantehene explained, were depression and pessimism and an unending argument, while in their desperation, the people were abandoning hard work for the sake of instant miracles.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu indicated that it was due to the development of those unfortunate phenomena that he selected as the theme for the anniversary: “Rekindling the Spirits of Creativity, Innovation and Enterprise through Traditional Leadership”.
Declaration of War
Dressed in a rich Kente cloth and adorned in rich and glittering gold ornaments on his neck, legs and arms, the occupant of the Golden Stool said 15 years ago he swore before his elders and people to lead them in war, “not with gunpowder but with brain power”.
He said the battle was against illiteracy, diseases, poverty and social evils that were destroying the quality of life of Ghanaians, noting that the new battleground was education.
He said the Otumfuo Educational Fund had, till date, provided support for more than 9,000 people, adding that an independent assessment indicated that the fund was the most significant private intervention in the entire history of the country.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the assessment also indicated that the amount disbursed could build a fully-fledged university and announced that the kingdom had decided to build a new university, beginning the next academic year.
Self-support
He said while Asanteman would continue to support every government elected by the people, governments should equitably share the national cake.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu reminded the people that it was not part of the Asante spirit to stand by and wait on governments for everything.
“Our pride is in work of our hands and minds,” he emphasised.
As an example of the Asante spirit, he recounted how Asante chiefs had insisted and paid for the renovation of the Manhyia Palace by the colonial master because the chiefs did not believe that their chief’s palace must be built for them.
Foreign trip benefits
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said through his travels and interactions with leaders of other nations, he was able to put in a word for Ghana to secure a loan from the Chinese to build the Bui Hydro Dam.
He said he was able to attract investment from a private Israeli company for the construction of a new city, the Prabon Greenfields Estates.
The Asantehene was of the view that it was only local industries that could spearhead the proper development of the country and, therefore, invited local financial institutions to support local initiatives to build a prosperous industrial Ghana.
He said the world of today required capital to help bring into fruition the creativity of individuals and urged the banking institutions to make capital available to support such local initiatives.
Greener pastures
He bemoaned the increasing rate at which young people from Africa continued to perish on the Sahara Desert in their bid to seek greener pastures in developed nations and said the situation was a blot on the conscience of all Africans.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu reminded Ghanaians and Africans in general that they did not run away from their land during the colonial period but stood their ground and fought for independence.