Otumfuor Advises To Get Back In Touch With Reality On The Ground

The Overlord of Ashanti, Otumfuor Osei Tutu ll, has advised President Akufo-Addo to allow the junior brother of ex-President John Dramani Mahama to mine Ghana’s bauxite like the companies that are currently being given concessions.

Speaking during a courtesy call paid on him by the Management of the recently-composed Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation 

 (GAIDEC) and Rocksure, the Otumfuo said, giving Ibrahim Mahama’s Exton Cubic back its lost concession is a sure way to ensure peace.

 “I remember during the time of the NDC, one of my grandsons took the matter to court, I think Exton something. With what the government is saying now they should also go and tender and be given the right to mine just like Rocksure has done,” said the Otumfuo.

Exton Cubic Group, the mining group owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama had its three bauxite mining leases declared invalid by the Supreme Court, in what was suspected to be a politically inspired conspiracy.

Mahama subsequently lost a review application challenging the apex court’s decision. The apex court unanimously declared the three leases invalid because they were not ratified by Parliament, as required. 

The Minority in Parliament has consequently vowed to retaliate by not supporting the government’s award of the Nyinahini bauxite concession to Ghanaian firm, Rocksure International. 

Subsequently, the Otumfuo cautioned President Akufo Addo against the sycophants around him and be wary about sugar-coated reports that his sycophantic appointees bring to him from the ground.

 “It is good for the President to visit the projects himself. If you listen to reports from the people, they will always deliver the positives. But if you visit the projects, you will see the negatives and make necessary changes”, he said.

The advice was given by Otumfuor when President Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region.

It comes in the wake of spiraling armed robbery, joblessness, and heavy depreciation of the cedi against major trading currencies.

The Asantehene also urged Mr. Akufo-Addo to live up to his promises to develop the Ashanti Region.

“Ashanti Region has seen some development in your term. We are trusting you to complete the outstanding ones”, Otumfuor said. 

Mr. Akufo-Addo in response delivered another classic rhetoric. “We haven’t been able to deliver on all the promises but we are doing well. In the area of roads, there has been a massive improvement. There were delays at the Boakra inland port but we have found solutions so we will start soon”, he claimed.

As part of the visit, the President inspected the progress of work at the Kumasi Airport.

 The upgrade of the airport to international status is 77 percent complete and is expected to be completed by August next year.