The Asantehene, has bemoaned the naked “mistrust” between Asantes and Ewes borne out of differences in political choices or religious beliefs, leading to the existence of inherent animosity between the two ethnic groups.
According to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, “it is patently wrong to allow such differences to erode confidence in our heritage and generate enmity and strife between kith and kin”, adding it is about time to bolster peaceful relations between Asanteman and the people of Volta Region.
In his address at the just-ended HogbetsotsoZa on Saturday, November 5, 2022, Otumfuo admitted, however, that relations between Asante and Anlo, had been negatively impacted by modern-day politics.
“I am not unmindful of the fact that the complexities and vagaries of modern politics have cast an often-uncomfortable shadow over our relations.
“It is undeniable that our people have become associated with differences in political choices to an extent that, that has injected some unwarranted mistrust and compromised the brotherly harmony conceived by our forefathers,” he stressed.
Going forward, he said, the two groups must boost a historic pact between the two peoples dating centuries back.
“It cannot be our role to question the political choices people make in our modern democracy but I am sure we can all agree that, it is patently wrong to deduce from the differences in political choices or religious beliefs the existence of any inherent animosity between our people. And it is patently wrong to allow such differences to erode confidence in our heritage and generate enmity and strife between kith and kin”, he said.
He thanked his host, the AwoamefiaTogbe Sri III, who was a guest of Asanteman four years ago, adding that that visit to Kumasi four years ago, “helped shine a light on historic and Anlo alliance of 1869.”
Otumfuo, said his attendance at the Hogbetsotso was not only to reciprocate Togbe’s visit but to “declare to the nation and the world that Asante and Anlo, stand together in friendship and solidarity to buttress the alliance of 178 years ago.”
He called on his host to establish a machinery for celebrations between the two peoples in years ahead.
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He traced a relationship between the late Komla Agbeli Gbedema, an ethnic Anlo of the National Alliance of Liberals (NAL) and his National Chairman, Barima John Francis Cobbina, son of the then reigning Asantehemaa, Nana Ama Serwa Nyarku II.
“John Cobbina, a distinguished lawyer, knew he was placing his future traditional prospects at risk by opting for front line politics at the time, but he believed so much in the leadership of Gbedema he was willing to make the supreme sacrifice”, he said.
He questioned “how could the son of the Asantehemaa at the very heart of Manhyia be out there as the right-hand man of Afro Gbedema, if indeed there was an Asante conspiracy against him? And how does it feel for my own brother to make the sacrifice he made only to hear the distortions that have persisted to this day? Clearly, it is only fair that we begin to debunk the myths and learn to separate the machinations which drive the conduct of individual politicians from the roots of their birth or their religious orientation”.
According to the Otumfuo, “Our forefathers knew who they were and what they were doing when they forged a concrete Alliance between Asante and Anlo during an era dominated by intense warfare. In the past century both Asante and Anlo collaborated on many issues as the country struggled through periods of change. Asanteman dutifully created an Anloga Division as an equal part of the traditional administration of Kumasi. Indeed, we have gone further to create a unique traditional system of governance which provides for every ethnic group to be represented by its own chief on an equal basis. How better can one reflect the depth of our respect for harmonious community relations?
SPEECH BY HIS MAJESTY OTUMFUO OSEI TUTU II, ASANTEHENE, ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE HOGBETSOTSO FESTIVAL AT ANLOGA IN THE VOLTA REGION OF GHANA ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2022.
We have landed on Anlo soil today from your brother Kingdom of Asante at the gracious invitation of my Brother Awoamefia to join him and his Elders to celebrate the historic HOGBETSOTSO festival. We have come to Anloga with joy and happiness and with glad tidings of peace and ever-increasing prosperity for our brothers and sisters of the Anlo state.
This is the first time the occupant of the Golden Stool has set foot on Anlo soil in the modern era and we are pleased to come with paramount chiefs and Ablempong representing all areas of Asanteman to underscore the value and importance we place on Asante’s relations with Anlo.
Our presence here is also a tribute to my Brother, the Awoamefia, for his visionary leadership since he succeeded to the sacred stool of his forefathers. We have watched with admiration, the unwavering commitment of Togbi Sri III not just to the welfare of his people, but to the preservation of peace and the unity of our country. Understandably, his primary focus is on the social and economic advancement of his people, but he brings to the table a unique recognition of the reality that achieving the goal of social and economic advancement is contingent upon the preservation of peace in the nation and harmonious relations amongst neighbours. That is why traditional leaders of this nation, as the guardians of our heritage, face an obligation to place peace building, the sustenance of the unity and the protection of the territorial integrity of the nation at the zenith of all considerations. I am aware that Awoamefia’s appreciation of this obligation and his commitment to its delivery has been a factor of no small value in the preservation of the peace of our nation. This is leadership for which every son and daughter of Anlo state should be proud and for which the whole nation should be grateful.
Three years ago, Togbi Sri III, Awoamefia, did us the honour of accepting our invitation to be our guest in Kumasi. The visit enabled us shine the light on the historic Asante and Anlo Alliance of 1869. Today, we have come to Anloga not just to reciprocate the visit of Togbi Sri III but even more importantly, to declare to the nation and to the world that Asante and Anlo stand together in friendship and solidarity in the spirit and letter of the Alliance consecrated by our forefathers over 150 years ago. To mark the reaffirmation I hope we will establish a machinery for the celebration of Asante-Anlo Solidarity in years ahead.
Of course, I am not unmindful of the fact that the complexities and vagaries of modern politics have cast an often uncomfortable shadow over our relations. It is undeniable that our people have become associated with differences in political choices to an extent that has injected some unwarranted mistrust and compromised the brotherly harmony conceived by our forefathers. It cannot be our role to question the political choices people make in our modern democracy but I am sure we can all agree that, it is patently wrong to deduce from the differences in political choices or religious beliefs the existence of any inherent animosity between our people. And it is patently wrong to allow such differences to erode confidence in our heritage and generate enmity and strife between kith and kin.
Our forefathers knew who they were and what they were doing when they forged a concrete Alliance between Asante and Anlo during an era dominated by intense warfare. In the past century both Asante and Anlo collaborated on many issues as the country struggled through periods of change. Asanteman dutifully created an Anloga Division as an equal part of the traditional administration of Kumasi. Indeed, we have gone further to create a unique traditional system of governance which provides for every ethnic group to be represented by its own chief on an equal basis. How better can one reflect the depth of our respect for harmonious community relations?
It is in this evolution that you see and experience the heart and soul of Asante and the essence of its commitments from OpimsuoOsei Tutu to this day. Asante does not go back on its word and does not renege on its commitments. Asante’s strength has been built upon its fidelity to its word. So it has been over the centuries. So it is today. So it will be. So it will be with the Alliance entered into by my great uncle King Kofi Karikari.
Togbuiwo, Mama wo, we do not enter the political space as traditional leaders but you will permit me today to cast our minds back to the elections that ushered in Ghana’s second Republic. I do this most reluctantly but with some personal feeling because of the need to clear some of the distortions that have festered and adversely affected our relations.
There is no historian or political analyst who denies that the odds were stuck against the favourite son of the Anlo state, KomlaAgbeliGbedema, when he formed the National Alliance of Liberals. Gbedema was CPP. Even though he had fallen out with President Nkrumah and spent time in exile, his political base was that of the CPP. When President Nkrumah was overthrown, the CPP was proscribed and its members banned from the electoral process. Thus apart from the area where he was heralded as a favourite son, in the rest of the country, the base from which he would draw his support had been removed. It was the political opposition to President Nkrumah which naturally benefitted from the political process. Only politicians can understand and address the machinations at work then. What nobody can suggest on any evidence is that it had anything to do with Asante or any ethnic consideration for that matter.
But Togbuiwo, Mamagwo, now consider why this means so much to me personally. When Afro Gbedema formed NAL, where did he find the man to be his right hand man as National Chairman? The person he found to be his National Chairman was no other than my own brother, yes, my own brother, Barima John Francis Cobbina, son of the then reigning Asantehemaa, Nana AMA SerwaNyarkuII. John Cobbina, a distinguished lawyer, knew he was placing his future traditional prospects at risk by opting for front line politics at the time but he believed so much in the leadership of Gbedema he was willing to make the supreme sacrifice.
How could the son of the Asantehemaa at the very heart of Manhyia be out there as the right-hand man of Afro Gbedema if indeed there was an Asante conspiracy against him? And how does it feel for my own brother to make the sacrifice he made only to hear the distortions that have persisted to this day? Clearly, it is only fair that we begin to debunk the myths and learn to separate the machinations which drive the conduct of individual politicians from the roots of their birth or their religious orientation.
Your Excellency, Togbwo, Mamagawo, a festival like Hogbetsotso should be an occasion for merry-making to allow our people release stress and energise themselves for the days ahead. But it should also give us space for some reflection. There is an ill wind blowing in country. I can feel it. You can feel it. It is clear that we are in far from normal times. Just when we thought we had overcome an unprecedented pandemic, we are bang in the throes of a severe economic crisis. Our people are facing the highest cost of living in a generation. This comes on top of a devastating environmental challenge from the upsurge of illegal mining which is destroying our rivers and polluting our lands. The situation is of such gravity that it will be remiss not to avert one’s mind to it even on such festive occasion.
Four months ago, the Government announced a decision to invite the International Monetary Fund to assist Ghana with the management of its economy. Ghana and the IMF have begun discussions on a package of measures needed to support the economy over time. While the negotiations are ongoing, the Ghana cedi has plummeted in value, prompting demands for accelerated action to salvage the economy. Now we not only are in the midst of an economic crisis, we have a political crisis bubbling beneath the surface.
Your Excellency, Togbuiwo, Mamagawo, NiiGa, Nananom, let there be no doubt about this. The nation cannot afford this cocktail of crises. An economic crisis calls for sensitive negations but it also calls for a real sense of urgency. If you are going to ask people to make sacrifices as they are bound to do in this crisis, you must inspire confidence in them. That for me means that sooner than later issues surrounding confidence in the direction of our economy must be resolved. That hopefully should open the way for all stakeholders to come to the table and contribute meaningfully to the rebuilding of the economy.
I am sure I am not alone in the utter discomfort I feel over the tone and tenor of some of the public discourse over the crisis. The innuendoes and subtly mischievous attempts to encourage recourse to actions calculated to undermine our constitutional order is in my view highly reprehensible. We live in a different era. The days when power flew out of the barrel of a gun are long gone. Today’s reality is that the barrel of a gun only spreads mayhem and amplifies a crisis. It offers no solution to the challenges of economic or social development.
How often do we need to remind ourselves of the carnage and the ravages visited upon our neighbours as a result of reckless adventurism? What is it that any rational mind can contrive from trading the peace we enjoy today with the chaos from which most of our neighbours are struggling to escape?
From this August forum I plead with all our countrymen, let not our disagreements however well-founded and our ambitions however deserving trap us into a course of action that could risk our ultimate undoing and destroy the very foundations of our motherland.
By the wisdom of our forefathers, the celebration of Hogbetsotso appropriately provides for a period of reflection and soul-searching for the settlement and resolution of discord within families and among the people. Today, the Awoamefia, Chiefs, Agbotaduawo and Queens of Anlo State can set a beautiful example for our nation by extending the process of discord resolution beyond the limited family and traditional environment. You can help kick start a process to purge ourselves of past contaminants of all types, flush out the sources of unwarranted discord and encourage the growth of a healthier climate for public discourse and social and even political interaction.
Awoamefia, Asanteman thanks you for remaining true to the ideals of our forefathers. We applaud the Togbuiwo, Mamagawo and Elders for the loyalty and good counsel with which they have served their proud state. And we thank you again and again for your hospitality. As we prepare for Brother to bid Brother goodbye, I ask, in the spirit of the moment, to let the elegance of Adowa and Fontonfrom, and the energy of Agbadza blend to the music of peace to the glory of the one nation we proudly call GHANA.
“AnlϽKotsikloklo, naketideka nϽdzome bi nu”
Asante Kotoko. Wokumapemaapem be a.
May we forever Triumph Together
In the arms of Great Ghana
