AND ASANTEMAN ON THE OCCASION OF HIS ELEVATION AS KANTINKA By Kwame Donkoh Fordwor

Otumfuo Nananom Members of the Clergy & Immams Honourable Members Excellencies Invited Guests Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of my 15 colleagues and fellow recipients, and on my own behalf, I wish to thank Otumfuo most sincerely for the impressive ceremony that he has just performed to elevate us to various levels in the hierarchy of the Asante Nation. About a month ago, we were individually informed in various ways by Otumfuo that we had each been selected to receive a special honour from him on the occasion of the anniversary of his installation as the Occupant of the Golden Stool and of his birthday. The special honour has just been conferred on us and I stand here to express, on behalf of all of us, sincere thanks to Otumfuo and Asanteman.

We the recipients are only too aware that we are not necessarily the only individuals who are qualified to be honoured in this way. We appreciate that other persons may equally deserve similar honours. However we know that such high accolades cannot be given to each and everyone on every occasion. We, therefore, humbly accept our elevation today not only for ourselves but also for others without whose assistance we could never have done what pleased Otumfuo to recognise us. We also hope that the honour done to us will serve as an example to others to serve their communities and fellow human beings, whether they are recognised or not.

I would like, if I may, to make a commitment on behalf of all my fellow recipients. We wish to assure you, Otumfuo and Asanteman, that we shall always stand ready and willing to do whatever lies in our power to defend the reputation of Otumfuo and to serve the interests of Asanteman. And we promise that we shall, at all times, act in accordance with the most noble of human values; and we shall fight against the pernicious influence of division and intolerance. We shall refrain from any deeds or practices that may bring disgrace on ourselves or on your gracious person or your noble Nation.

We will always remind ourselves that the Asante Kingdom was born out of the innate opposition of Asantes to injustice. We recall that it was this objection to injustice that led them to free themselves from domination by Denkyira and establish their own independent Kingdom. It was because of this same unwillingness to accept injustice that they chose to fight their way to the sea, so that they would be able to deal directly with the European merchants instead of having to operate through middlemen from the coastal communities. And it is the same unyielding objection to injustice that caused the Asante Kingdom to resist for so long the attempts by the British to colonize our territory, a resistance that won for us the respect of the British themselves and the admiration of many people around the world. We remain ever conscious of the commitment of the Asante people to truth, probity and right conduct.

I would like to use this opportunity to address a few words to the youth of Asante. They are the future of our Nation. They should realise that the successes and achievements of the Kingdom of Asante over the years have been built on the hard work and sense of integrity of the chiefs and people of this great Nation. They owe it to their parents and to the Nation to add to these successes and achievements. To do this they must be honest enough to speak the truth and courageous enough to call others to order when they stray from the right track. For example, they should neither encourage nor connive at any attempt to usurp a stool in their area by a person who is not qualified by law and custom to occupy that stool, lest our noble institution of chieftaincy becomes incapacitated to play its legitimate role in our societies.

I also appeal to the youth to reduce and eliminate the wayward attitude that has recently become rampant among them. Some of them have become too avaricious, contrary to the character of the true Asante. They should return to the traditional attitude of their elders who believed that you do not obtain any rewards without hard work. It is the failure to appreciate this that has led so many of our young men and women to leave Ghana to other countries where they believe they can make easy money. It is important for them to remember always that, no matter where they are, the only way to be successful in life is through honest hard work. The only alternative is criminal activity, such as illegal trafficking in drugs, imprisonment in foreign lands and other kinds of misfortune.

In particular, the youth should take steps to guard against the grave threat posed by AIDS which is now haunting our region in a very serious way. The high incidence of AIDS in the Ashanti Region is not only a dangerous threat to health but it is also an embarrassment for self-respecting Asante.

The youth of Asante should also contribute to our development in other ways. For example, they should take an interest in the resolution of disputes in their respective areas. One way to do this is to draw attention to cases that take too long to be decided.

As we all know, Otumfuo has been very active in the field of dispute resolution. His influence has been felt throughout the country, but particularly in Ashanti where parties who have become disenchanted with the dilatory procedures of the formal courts have been keen to resort to his wise techniques of dispute resolution. It is now widely recognized that the court of “alternative conflict resolution” has come to stay. But there are those who seem determined to stand in the way of this progressive trend. It is incumbent on the youth to help our people and societies to appreciate the advantages and challenges which the new techniques present.

In this respect may I address a special appeal to all parents and guardians in Ashanti. They should ensure that their children and wards are given the best possible education. The spectacle in our communities of large numbers of children wandering idly in the streets should be depressing to any true patriot.

These children are the future of our nation. Failure to form them adequately will deprive our nation of their contribution

Pope Paul VI once wrote that “ignorance is as evil as hunger”. Without education we are starving our children of the nutrition for self enhancement. The wastage of children’s talents occurs in all parts of Ghana, but it appears that the problem is more acute in the Ashanti Region. Let us join forces to do something about it without delay.

Finally I would advise the youth to make every effort to learn more about the tradition and culture of Asante. Without this they will find it difficult to play the key role that they are required to play in the future development of our Region and our country. It is only with this knowledge that they will be able to derive maximum benefit from our heritage by emulating the achievements of our forefathers.

They are lucky. Otumfuo has offered them the supreme example to emulate. His championing the cause of our culture and traditions has, in the relatively short time of his installation, become an icon to other chiefs in Ashanti, Ghana, other countries in Africa and elsewhere.

It is for these reasons and more that my colleagues and I are pleased and proud to declare today our thanks to Otumfuo and our respect and admiration for all he has done for Asante, Ghana and Africa. Nana, thank you immensely.