Kumasi, Aug.4, GNA - The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, has urged African Traditional Leaders to assert themselves and play meaningful roles by mobilising the people in their respective communities for rapid socio-economic development.

He said African traditional leaders needed to build confidence in themselves and present a united front in the preservation of their status and the protection of their values and cultural heritage. Otumfuo Osei Tutu, made the call at the closing of a three-day conference of African traditional leaders, as part of activities marking this year's PANAFEST celebrations in Kumasi, on Monday.

The conference, which was attended by traditional leaders from South Africa, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria, discussed the various role traditional leaders could play in the socio-economic development of the continent.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu, emphasised that, the African continent could be developed faster, if her cultural values are placed at the forefront of planning, decision-making and implementation at all levels. He enumerated a number of problems facing the African continent such as wars, neglect of cultural values, degradation of the environment and the decay of traditional heritage.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu attributed all these problems to the non-involvement of traditional leaders in political decision-making process on the continent.

He, however, criticised some traditional leaders for their active involvement in partisan politics, which had derailed their moral right to criticise bad governance and said good governance and democracy were the true pillars on which the African traditional system was built, which ensured order and cohesion in African societies.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu commended the traditional leaders for the idea of establishing Africa Union of traditional leaders to bring them together to harness their potentials for the benefit of their peoples.

Professor George Hagan, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture, said the conference had rekindled the spirit of the traditional leaders to work towards the promotion of effective development among the people on the continent.