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The Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) has taken a stern stance against the Kokosohene, Nana Kwaku Duah, accusing him of dragging the name of the Manhyia Palace into a partisan dispute.
The council emphasized that the ongoing conflict between him and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, was purely a partisan issue and should not have been brought before the Kumasi Traditional Council for resolution.
In response to these allegations, the council directed Nana Kwaku Duah to choose between his chieftaincy role and partisan politics. The directive was issued on Monday, January 29, 2024, during a council meeting convened to deliberate on the complaint lodged against Chairman Wontumi by Nana Kwaku Duah.
The Kokosohene had accused Chairman Wontumi of showing disrespect to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, during the vetting process preceding the NPP Parliamentary primaries. According to Nana Kwaku Duah, an argument ensued during the vetting of the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, where Chairman Wontumi allegedly claimed he had no problem speaking his mind even before the Asantehene, stating that he had his kingdom in the region.
Chairman Wontumi, in his defence, denied disrespecting the Asantehene and clarified that the issues at stake were purely party-related. He claimed to have resolved the matter with Nana Kwaku Duah through a conference call initiated by the party’s General Secretary.
During the meeting on Monday (29 January), concerns were raised by several chiefs about the involvement of chiefs in partisan politics, which they believed tarnished the image of the chieftaincy institution and violated both the constitution and Otumfuo’s directive prohibiting chiefs from engaging in partisan politics.
The chiefs also called for calm as they prepare for the 25th anniversary celebration of the Asantehene. The Council was however silent on the fate of private legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw who was also accused of making unsavoury comments against the Kumasi chiefs.
In a delegation led to the Manhyia Palace Chairman Wontumi was accompanied by high-profile members of the NPP, including the National Chairman, General Secretary, Ashanti Regional Minister, National Organiser, Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and other regional executives. The presence of district chief executives from the region highlighted the significance of the issue at both the party and regional levels.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH
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