Politics Has Clouded Ghana’s Past Decades – Otumfuo

The Monarch of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has stated that politics has consumed the country’s most productive years over the last six decades.

According to His Majesty, politics has clouded those decades because allegiance to party has too often been stronger than allegiance to the state.

“We must be honest enough to admit that the past decades have been too dominated by politics, and not always by the kind of politics that builds our nation. We have sung the praises of politicians and ignored those whose toil, innovation, and enterprise drive the nation forward,” Otumfuo said at the Ghana Business Leaders’ Conclave on May 15, 2026.

Builders, Not Talkers
The Asantehene said the country must now chart a new path by abandoning talk for action.

His Majesty noted that citizens must assume the role of nation builders.

“After almost 70 years, the lesson is clear. We have had enough of the talk. Ghana must now become a nation of builders. We must move from political rhetoric to building businesses. We must move from slogans to production. We must move from lamentation to enterprise. We must move from dependency to value creation.

“We must move from the garden path of promises to the hard road of work, discipline, sacrifice, and innovation. The decade before us must be a decade of business. It must be the decade in which all our energies are directed toward building a strong, resilient, ethical, and sustainable economy.”

The Asantehene added that political leaders must create the right environment, provide the right policy framework, and ensure stability, while citizens, entrepreneurs, professionals, and institutions assume the duty to create and innovate, build enterprises, create jobs, and add value to natural resources.

Rich History
Otumfuo made these remarks after reviewing Ghana’s earned place in the history of Africa and the world as a leader in the struggle for the continent’s total liberation.“

From Algeria to Angola, Mozambique to Zimbabwe, from the struggle against colonial domination to the collapse of apartheid in South Africa, the hand of Ghana was ever present, ever firm, and ever critical,” he said.

He also highlighted the contributions of Ghanaians such as Kofi Annan, Dr. Robert Gardiner, Kenneth Dadzie, and Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey to global affairs.

Gloom
The Monarch further decried how the struggles of independence have not yet translated into prosperity in every home, opportunity for every child, and dignity for every citizen.

“There is no truer measure of our national progress than the state of our economy. It is the economy that determines whether we are able to provide food for the table, shelter for families, clothes for children, education for our people, healthcare for our communities, and safety for our homes.”

The Asantehene said every Ghanaian hopes for better years ahead, but noted that this is only possible if they assume the role of nation builders.

Story by Hajara Fuseini

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