I wish to congratulate these two great and prominent traditional Akan rulers of our time Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II for their enormous contributions to the development of their respective traditional areas and Ghana as a whole since their coronation as Asantehene and Okyenhene respectively a decade ago.
The achievements of these two personalities cannot be overlooked as they both mark their 10th anniversary of ascending the noble throne of Okyenhene in the case of Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II and Asantehene in the case of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. For his part, the Asantehene has not only launched the Otumfuo Educational fund to cater for the educational needs of poor but brilliant students in Asanteman who hitherto could not afford quality education as a result of poverty but have also embarked on a number of benevolence activities which includes donating to Kumasi children’s home, feting street children among others. Asantehene has also played a role and still plays a role in ensuring peace in some parts of the northern region by chairing the committee formed by the erstwhile government to settle conflicts in the affected parts of the northern region. Other achievements of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II include providing a levelling playing field for all the political parties that contested in the 2008 general election by not aligning himself to any of the political parties as some other chiefs did and continue to do even after the elections.
For his part, the Okyenhene in the past decade has also demonstrated his great leadership through a special care for the environment by establishing the Okyenman environmental foundation to protect the environment through afforestation campaigns, establishment of okyenman forest brigades to discourage the activities of illegal chainsaw operators in parts of the eastern region and also discouraging illegal mining activities in his jurisdiction among others. Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II also in the heat of the 2008 general elections did not only come out publicly to debunk allegations of cold blood between Asantes and Akyems which were been speculated by some political activists to score cheap political points by even stating categorically that the current Asantehene is married to an Akyem to drive home the point that there is no conflict between Okyenman and Asanteman but also showed his preparedness to embrace any of the aspirants contesting for the presidency who emerged successful at the end of the day despite the fact that one of the candidates was from his traditional area. Like the Asantehene he ensured an equal platform for all parties in his traditional area. Again the Okyenhene also has an educational fund to cater for the poor and needy in Okyenman.The Okyenhene lately has again demonstrated the cordial relationship between Okyenman and Asanteman by sending a delegation of chiefs to congratulate the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on the occasion of his 10th anniversary.
I would end this tribute by wishing these two great traditional Akan leaders of our time Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II well in the years ahead and even greater achievements.
