Daasebre Osei Bonsu, Asante Mamponghene
DAASEBRE OSEI Bonsu, the Paramount Chief of Asante Mampong, has given a 24-hour ultimatum to the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in his area to retract an alleged anti-Asante comments that they have infamously made.
The occupant of the Silver Stool of Asanteman, has in addition, charged the NDC members to render an unqualified apologies over their weird statement that they would not allow an Asante man to be appointed as Mampong Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).
Giving the ultimatum on Sunday at his palace in Mampong, Daasebre Osei Bonsu stated categorically that if the NDC members refuse to comply with his irreversible directive, he would prove to them that he ‘owns the area and has power’.
“By noon time on Monday, I’m expecting the leadership of the NDC to organise a press conference and apologise over the anti-Asante and other unprintable comments, else we shall prove to you that we own Mampong and we have power,” the chief stated.
Daasebre Osei Bonsu said his heart was filled with grief when he saw some aggrieved NDC members burning their office furniture in the streets of Mampong, in the full glare of the public, without any party leader cautioning them to stop.
According to him, he also heard some NDC members issuing threats that they would not allow any Asante man enter the Mampong Zongo area, indicating that such tribal laced comments should not have been passed in the first place.
“How can you allow anyone to say that Asantes cannot go to Mampong Zongo?” he quizzed, and sternly cautioned that the NDC members in his traditional jurisdiction be guided in their comments, in order to ensure peace.
The Paramount Chief of Asante Mampong, who is 86 years old, said he had travelled wide across the country and realised that it’s only Asantes who allow settlers in their communities to enstool their own chiefs as a sign of unity and respect.
According to him, the people of Asante Mampong have over the years lived in peace and harmony as one people with a common destiny, therefore the NDC members should not use their political power to cause division in the community.
“We are all one people and we don’t want any division here. I don’t know if the NDC people, who made the divisive comments are on drugs,” he remarked, reiterating that the NDC leaders in Mampong should sit up and control their members.
“Governments will come and go but we shall remain as one people called Ghanaians,” Daasebre Osei Bonsu pointed out, and stated that the NDC members should never repeat their anti-Asante and shameful acts again, for peace to prevail.
He stated that the NDC executives in Mampong should prove that they are leaders, adding, “I know your party leaders in Kumasi and Accra more than you, and as I said, by Monday 12 noon, you should publicly apologise for saying that you will not allow an Asante person as MCE for Mampong.”
Meanwhile, when this story was being filed on Monday evening, the paper could not verify whether the NDC leaders in Asante Mampong adhered to the Mamponghene’s directive for them to apologise in public.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah, Kumasi