Kumasi, Feb. 1, GNA - Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, on Sunday called on chiefs of the Asante Kingdom to be honest, truthful and uphold the age-long traditions and customs bequeathed to the people by their forefathers.

He warned the chiefs against adulteration of Asante values, customs and traditions and called on the people to avoid greed and live in peace. Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the appeal at a colourful durbar of chiefs and people of Asanteman, organised by the Asanteman Council, to mark the 75th anniversary of the restoration of the Asante Confederacy that was re-established in 1935 under Otumfuo Osei Agyeman Prempeh II. It restored the Asante kingdom and the unity of its people, which had been disintegrated following the arrest and exile of Otumfuo Agyeman Prempeh I, to the Seychelles Island in 1896 by the British Colonial Government. Otumfuo Osei Tutu paid glowing tribute to the founders of the Confederacy, whose resilience, toil and blood thwarted the machinations of the colonial administration to destroy the Asante nation. He appealed to the chiefs and people to unite, work hard and support him towards the development of Asanteman. Otumfuo Osei Tutu pledged to preserve values, culture and traditions of Asanteman.

He said that even though the forefathers expanded the Kingdom through conquests, currently, the chiefs were expected to lead the people of Asanteman to fight against poverty, illiteracy, diseases and deprivation. Otumfuo Osei Tutu appealed to politicians to mobilise the people and harness their potentials for national development. Present at the durbar were former President John Agyekum Kufuor, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, Members of Parliament, the 2008 NPP Presidential Candidate Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, members of the Diplomatic Corps, former Ministers of State and Business Executives.