Government has condemned derogatory remarks targeted at Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, over his comment at the United Nations last Friday, as unwarranted.
While speaking at the UN high level forum on the Culture of Peace on Friday, September 13, Otumfuo Osei Tutu stated that he had to intervene and persuade President John Mahama to concede defeat to Nana Akufo-Addo during the 2016 Presidential Elections or else the nation would have been plunged into electoral violence.
However, in a quick rebuttal, a statement issued by the Office of Former President Mahama and signed by Mr Julius Debrah, a former Chief of Staff in the Mahama’s administration strongly denied Otumfuo’s assertion.
Commenting on the matter at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Information Minister, said it was disappointing that some persons had chosen to attack Otumfuo’s comments at the UN.
The Minister said Government considered the invitation of Otumfuo Osei Tutu to the UN Headquarters to speak as respect to Otumfuo and the Ghanaian traditional authority in general.
Traditional authorities, he said, had been very helpful in ensuring unity and social cohesion in the country; therefore if the truth being spoken by the revered King was not palatable, it was wrong for anyone to rundown traditional authority and integrity of Otumfuo.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah said it was distasteful for anyone to denigrate traditional authorities, especially when the traditional leaders every now and then rally together young politicians and resolve their differences whenever there is tension.
Therefore, it was prudent for people to refrain from any acts that appear to question the integrity of the traditional rulers and described the response from former President Mahama’s camp as unhealthy.
A statement issued by Mr Debrah on Sunday, September 15, 2019 read: “I state without equivocation that the decision to concede and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were declared was taken by President Mahama without any persuasion from any quarters”.
Source: GNA
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I told my friends that this ur new position as information minister will take away all the respect from u and ur family had worked for. Same happened to John Mahama during Rawlings time as when he was information minister. NPP is using u cos i can see ure no more urself. Please seek for elderly advice b4 u come to press conferences.
Mr Minister please tell us something better. In any case chiefs are not supposed to be in politics per our constitution so why do you call a press conference with our money to say this. Why have you changed so suddenly after becoming an MP.
So do we pay this minister to do propaganda for Npp? There are so many pressing issues Ghanaians want information about but this guy keeps disrespecting otumfour by still speaking about an issue that has been stopped by Rawlings and co. Npp members are so disrespectful to otumfour. An issue about a king and his great kingdom that should not be discussed in public the npp still keeps hammering and further disrespecting and denigrating the asantehene and the asantehene kingdom. This continuous spinning of the issue is rather worsening the problem already created. By the way spinning traditional issue can be a curse on the npp.
stop the no.n.sen.se ok. you cant bring any tension between mahama and otumfou, even gabby who insulted otumfuo and leaked by a royal among the government, did NDC comment on it. stop this use.le.sz political advantage and work to the satisfaction of the voter
DID THE CONSTITUTION ALLOW CHIEFS TO POLITIC. IF ANY CHIEF SLOT INTO POLITICS, WE THE POLITICIAN WILL RECOGNIZE HIM AS SUCH AND DEAL WITH HIM. IF WE RESPECT YOU FOR YOUR POSITION AND YOU LOWER THE BELT, WE STOP AND CORRECT YOU TO CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WELL. NOW TELL US WHAT JM DID THAT SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT. WAS IT ONLY THE OTUMFUO WHO SUGGESTED TO THE NDC TO ACCEPT THE RESULTS. PLEASE BE ON YOUR LANE TO AVERT ANT CRASH
Who is Otumfuo that he cannot be called a liar? He's a mere mortal like all of us. Ashanti will never vote for NDC so this is no news. This ***barred word*** must stop!
I agree to this call and certainly this should go to your party cronies as well..NDC should hasten slowly lest it plunges them into irredeemable problems.Methinks..Julius kindly do the needful,,apologize
Chiefs do not put yourselves into political matters so says men of wisdom. In doing so you are worst of than being quiet.
If you have forgotten about the election petition "bribe", it was Miss Hammah (then deputy minister in Mahama govt) who said so. Don't twist the issue.
You see JM should not worry about this posture of Manhyia, back as a president he was hooted by Manhyia when he paid homage to the king and no chief came to even apologise for this ***barred word*** behaviour. They made it a plan to make Ashante region ungovernable when Wontumi revealed the plan. By this time JM should know that as he said you can pave the whole of Kumasi roads gold but they will crucify him. When NPP were parading rumours that the King took bribe to settle the 2013 election case we heard no chief. When Asante Badiatuo and Gabby were insulting the king we heard no one. When NPP said the king is receiving treatment on liver cancer we heard no one. But JM ste record straigt eiiii tani no akasa. Ono de2 oy3 ***barred word***, God will deal withh us one by one. I was sad about how the akan station have made this a developmental topic. For some of us it is a diversionary tactics to cover the real issues i.e corruption, cspss, petrol price. Yenyinaa timu bi, nature will oneday take it course