Celebrating the Pillar of Peace: Role of Asantehene in Political Transitions

Today’s take on E ON 3 Group’s daily propagation of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s indispensable contribution to the country’s peacemaking highlights his role in the transition of governments in the country, the resolution of the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis and other conflicts.

The stakeholder acknowledged that since he ascended the Golden Stool some 25 years ago, His Majesty has not restrained himself to the peace of just Asanteman as his impact is felt nationwide.

It reflected on a speech Otumfuo delivered at the high-level forum to mark the 20th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of a Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace during which he stated, “Warfare is no longer the threat we face from states; it is now a danger we face daily from our citizens and all quarters. This new threat comes on the heels of an unprecedented trust deficit in political leadership at the national level. The effect of this trust deficit is to erode the capacity of political leaders to rally their people to coalesce around national interests. The consequence for peace and security cannot be overstated”.

Handling difficult political transitions

Key among Otumfuo’s peace initiatives were the facilitation and mediation of difficult political transitions.

These manifested in the 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2016 elections where he played various roles to calm tensions and ensure peaceful transitions.

Dagbon crisis

Otumfuo led the Committee of Eminent Chiefs to restore peace to Dagbon after many years of a bloody chieftaincy dispute.

Other Peace Initiatives

The Asantehene’s other peace initiatives include the resolution of the Techiman dispute with some Asante towns, the settlement of stools/chieftaincy disputes in Asanteman and the resolution of the crisis at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Honours

The settlement of the dispute, and other peace initiatives, won the Asantehene the award of Pillar of Peace at the maiden African Premier Leadership Awards Ceremony in Kumasi on December 29, 2019.

Also on December 12, 2021, E ON 3 Group, upon the authorization of the Bank of Ghana, teamed up with its partners to launch the Otumfuo Commemorative Gold Coin, to celebrate the King on his Dagbon peace success.

After the launch, the 24-carat Gold coin was presented to a number of personalities and institutions. The first recipient was KGL Group, which bought the first coin during the launch, followed by Otumfuo himself.

The Executive Chairman of the KGL Group, Alex Apau Dadey, who received the coin for the Group, said, “Hundred of years from today into the future, let these coins being launched today become a collector’s item and an everlasting touchstone marking the remarkable achievement of peacemaking that the onetime 16th Asantehene of the Great Asante Kingdom of Ghana provided his people, and indeed, his country.”