Kumasi (Ashanti Region) - The Asante United Front, a Kumasi based group, has backed Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene's call for the return of Manhyia assets that were confiscated in the First Republic.

Opanin Kwame Afreh, Chairman of the Front, urged the older generation of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) who were aware of the confiscation of the assets to take the initiative to help in retrieving them.

He said it was very embarrassing that the majority of Asantes did not even know about the confiscation of the Manhyia assets that might include very valuable assets of Asanteman.

Opanin Afreh, who is the Ashanti regional chairman of the National Reform Party (NRP), supported Otumfuo's contention that the crisis that necessitated the confiscation of the assets at that time no longer existed.

He said since the nation was going to be reconciled through the setting up of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) the leaders of the CPP should take advantage of this and help to return the assets.

''It will be in the interest of the CPP itself since as a political party that will seek the mandate of the people in 2004, the leadership will, as it were, call on the Asantehene when they visit Kumasi for their campaigns.''

''He said it will be embarrassing to them if the Asantehene repeats his call during their visit for the return of the assets. I therefore urged you to do everything possible to locate the items before the 2004 campaign takes off.''

Opanin Afreh also called on the Bank of Ghana (BOG) to assist in locating the items, saying that since they were kept there, there was every probability that they were still intact at the bank.

BOG will lose its credibility should the items be found missing and said the bank should also facilitate the location of the assets. He appealed to the Asante Kotoko Society, Kumasi Youngsters Club and the Asante Youth Association (AYA) to re-organise their associations to become formidable and throw their full weight behind the Asantehene in his effort at bringing progress to Asanteman and Ghana.

In a related development, he has appealed to the family of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the leadership of the CPP to have dialogue with the government for a fitting funeral for the first President.

In his opinion, this was very important and will hasten the reconciliation process whilst the request for the body of the first President to be returned to his hometown Nkroful should be considered.