The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has reiterated his commitment to national unity and non-partisan leadership, stressing that he works with any president elected by the people of Ghana and currently offers advisory support to President John Dramani Mahama.
In an engagement with members of the Ghanaian community in Toronto, Canada on Saturday, June 21, the Asantehene emphasised that his role as a cultural and traditional leader places him above partisan politics, guiding him instead to cooperate with whichever leader is chosen through the democratic process.
According to him, his relationship with successive governments has always been defined by respect for the electorate’s decision and a desire to contribute constructively to national development rather than engage in political rivalry or public criticism.
“My conviction is that any government elected by the people of Ghana, I have to work with the President and offer him my advice on the quiet.”
He further clarified his current working relationship with the sitting administration.
“I work with whoever Ghanaians elect as President; I am now working with Mahama.”
The Asantehene explained that his advisory role is not a recent development but one that has evolved over decades of engagement with various heads of state.
He noted that his interactions with Ghana’s political leadership date back to 1999, when he first began working closely with then-President Jerry John Rawlings.
Since that time, he said, he has continued to maintain working relationships with successive governments across different political administrations, including those led by John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and John Dramani Mahama during his previous tenure, as well as the current government.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II emphasized that his contributions to governance are offered privately and respectfully, rather than through public confrontation or media commentary.
He explained that his approach is rooted in discretion and the belief that constructive advice is best delivered behind closed doors.
“Those who will listen, do listen; those who don’t listen, they don’t listen,” he said. “But I won’t say it in public that a president didn’t listen to my advice.”
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