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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has unveiled a campaign dubbed “Build Ghana Now” to galvanise Ghanaians to invest in the country to drive accelerated socio-economic development.
Taking inspiration from the ‘Self-Government Now’ slogan of the first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which led the country to independence, the Asantehene stated that the circumstances of the current dispensation called for a campaign just as momentous as the campaign for self-government.
He invited all relevant sections of society to join hands in making the campaign a success.
The Asantehene unveiled the campaign last Friday at an event at the Jubilee Hall of the Manhyia Palace to celebrate him as a Pillar of Peace.
“I am moved to invite captains of business gathered here and beyond to join hands with our traditional leaders, our farmers, our media, and all relevant sections of society to start another campaign to 'Build Ghana Now,” he said.
He stressed, “It is the call to unleash the energy of our communities to encourage our people to put their money where their mouths are, to raise the capacity, take risks, and to invest in the future of the only nation we have. It is time once again for ‘Wo ara tu, wo ara sa’.”
The glittering event, christened World-Meets-in-Ghana Executive Dinner Ball, organised by investment and business solutions company, E ON 3 Group, in collaboration with the Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President, was held as part of events commemorating the 27th coronation anniversary of the Asantehene.
Attended by guests from Ghana and around the world, it was on the theme, “Advancing Peace and Sustainable Economic Development Through Royal Vision.”
President John Dramani Mahama was represented by a Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo.
The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, which was also attended by former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; former Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; the Olu of Warri Kingdom in Nigeria, Ogiame Atuwatse III, and his spouse, and chaired by business executive, Sir Sam Jonah.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu called on Ghanaians to stop blame games and take responsibility for the nation’s socio-economic development.
“We even continue to blame the First Republic, which ended 60 years ago, for our failings today.
Yes, 60 years later, we blame the government for corruption, but we ignore the fact that we ourselves are responsible for stimulating it,” the Asantehene said.
Condemning the practice, the Asantehene stated that it was incumbent on every Ghanaian to contribute their quota towards solving national problems and spurring development.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu also spoke against the failure of several government initiatives, because people responded to them more as political gestures than as serious efforts towards economic development, stressing, “We cannot afford another phase of the same routine.”
He expressed regret seeing mostly imported goods in malls and shops, saying it was a development that should spark local manufacturing ideas among Ghanaian entrepreneurs for the benefit of the nation.
“Citizens must seize opportunities, take risks and invest locally to grow the nation’s manufacturing industry,” he entreated.
“When a Ghanaian walks into a shopping mall and finds more than 90 per cent of the goods on offer to be imported, it must strike him instantly that there is a huge market for manufacturing in the country.”
“If there is any entrepreneurial instinct in him, it must drive him to explore possibilities for investment.
It is not a matter of government.
It is a matter of business,” Asantehene Osei Tutu stated.
Otumfuo said it was refreshing that the government had initiated a number of measures to stimulate private- sector production in agriculture, forestry and industry.
He said it was now up to citizens to take advantage of these initiatives to contribute their quota towards national development.
“It is ours to take the hard decisions on where and how to invest our resources.
If we as citizens are not prepared to take the risk of investing in manufacturing in our country, we should not expect others to come and invest,” he said.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu urged the government to leverage the experience of past presidents to address some of the country’s challenges.
“We also want the nation to create space for them as serving and past presidents to engage on critical national issues, not as adversaries, but as elder statesmen whose insight can be invaluable in the search for solutions to myriad national issues.
This can be a massive boost not only for governance but for the peace and harmony of the state,” the Asantehene said.
The Asantehene further called for global peace, appealing to the combatants in the ongoing war in the Middle East to lay down their weapons and choose the path of peace.
For his part, President Mahama declared that the reign of Otumfuo Osei Tutu as Asantehene had greatly benefited the country and made it stronger.
In a message delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Chief of Staff, the President described the Asantehene as a national figure, stressing that his impact on peace and development extended far beyond Asanteman.
President Mahama added that the Asantehene had not only upheld the legacy of the Ashanti Kingdom but also expanded it in ways that benefited the entire nation.
The President pointed to critical moments when the country faced serious challenges during which the Asantehene stepped in to help resolve them.
Citing the Dagbon chieftaincy conflict and the Bawku crisis, President Mahama noted that the Asantehene consistently engaged all parties over several months in a determined bid to find lasting peace.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General stated that peace was inseparable from truth, work, leadership, judgment, restraint, the ability to maintain trust across differences, and the capacity to foster reconciliation where others saw only division.
While acknowledging that the Asantehene embodies those qualities, Ms Botchwey stated: "His Majesty has shown over many years that traditional leadership and modern statecraft are not in opposition”.
“At their best, they reinforce each other.
The moral authority of tradition, exercised wisely and with integrity, can guide societies towards balance, restore dialogue and move forward together on the basis of time-tested values," she stated.
Ms Botchwey argued that in today's world, marked by intense tensions, uncertainty, conflict, mistrust, democratic strain, economic worry, and rapidly changing communities, the Asantehene's leadership example modelled on his own was more vital than ever, the solution to those challenges.
"The answer is leadership steady enough to calm tensions, generous enough to build bridges, and wise enough to know that dignity, dialogue, and justice are not abstract ideals but the very foundations of lasting national and regional progress," she stated.
"Your Majesty, on behalf of the Commonwealth, on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III, your dear friend, and in my own name, I salute your distinguished service.
We honour your dedication to peace."
The Olu of Warri Kingdom also eulogised the Asantehene: "Even before my ascension, I admired Otumfuo from a distance.
And today, I am happy and honoured to celebrate you at your right-hand side”.
“I have found Otumfuo as a builder and guardian of peace.
Otumfuo, in his own regal way, represents the face of Ghana and a stabilising force in modern Africa," Ogiame Atuwatse added.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu used the occasion to honour a number of people with the Otumfuo Commemorative Gold Medal for their roles in socio-economic development.
They included President Mahama, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo, the Executive Chairman, KGL Group, Alex Apau Dadey.
Additionally, Otumfuo presented his commemorative gold coin to the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama.
The event also saw the unveiling of a customised gold coin box and a 24 karat wristwatch, among other commemorative pieces, all in honour of the Asantehene.
