Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has revealed that Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, disliked the Ashanti people.
On Monday, during the year’s first Asanteman Council Meeting at Kumasi’s Manhyia Palace, the overlord of the Asante Kingdom acknowledged that, despite Nkrumah’s dislike for them [Asantes], he carved the Bono Ahafo region out of Western Ashanti.
He stated that because the new region established by Nkrumah at the time did not alter the existence of the traditional arrangement, the establishment of the Bono region cannot affect the Asante Kingdom’s traditional autonomy.
He stated that Asanteman’s authority and autonomy have never been contested and that the establishment of new political-administrative regions does not alter existing traditional arrangements.
Otumfuo noted that similar moves during the colonial and post-independence eras had no effect on the established Asanteman.
He emphasized, however, that no chief should regard the existing arrangement as null and void as a result of the creation of new regions.
The Asanteman Council is an assembly of Ashanti, Bono East, and Bono regions’ paramount chiefs who pay homage to the Golden Stool. Additionally, chiefs from the Ahafo, Eastern, Western, Western North, and Oti regions are represented.
“Recently, the government established the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions. Prior to this, a similar incident occurred during Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s regime. He carved Western Ashanti’s Bono Ahafo region out.
“Even Kwame Nkrumah, who disliked us at the time, acknowledged that the creation of new regions was not intended to disrupt existing traditional arrangements, but rather to facilitate local development and promote governance.
“The establishment of Bono Ahafo did not preclude all chiefs who had previously pledged allegiance to the Golden Stool from doing so,” he explained.
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