House of Chiefs and Asanteman Council laud Asantehene

The Ashanti Region House of Chiefs and the Asanteman Council have lauded the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, for the honours bestowed on him by the international community, particularly universities in the United States and the United Kingdom and Ghana for his outstanding contribution to education and health.

At separate meetings on Thursday to review activities for the year, Nana Wiafe Akenten 11, Offinsohene, who conveyed the Ashanti Region House of Chiefs' appreciation to the Asantehene, said the honour did not only reflect on him but the whole House and the people of Asante.

He expressed the hope that God would continue to guide the Asantehene to use his wisdom to lead Asanteman to greater glory in the years to come. Daasebre Osei Bonsu 11, Mamponghene, conveying the appreciation of the Asanteman Council to Otumfuo Osei Tutu at its meeting, said the honour reflected not only on the Asantehene but on Asanteman as a whole.

Addressing the House, Otumfuo Osei Tutu reminded the various committees of the House of the responsibilities entrusted to them and asked them to take stock of their achievements and failures and make amends where they erred.

Nana Owusu Asiama 11, Oboguhene, complained about the behaviour of some settler farmers from the Akim, area who after harvesting their cocoa carted all the produce across the Pra River to the Eastern Region to sell and refused to pay royalties to Asante.

Nana Ayim Kuampa 11, Gyadam Manhene corroborated Oboguhene's statement and said some of them even fell timber and carted the logs across the Pra River to the Eastern Region describing the situation as serious since they did not pay any royalties.

The Asantehene asked that the matter should be referred to the Lands Commission. At the Asanteman Council Meeting, Otumfuo Osei Tutu expressed regret that some chiefs in Kumasi sold lands without paying his percentage to Manhyia and warned such chiefs to stop the practice forthwith.

He said since the inception of the Education Fund, some chiefs had also not presented any pupils from their areas to be sponsored from the fund and, therefore, charged all chiefs to liaise with teachers in the various schools to present at least six brilliant but needy pupils to be sponsored by the fund as from next term.

On the collection of the fund, he expressed disappointment at some chiefs, who had not collected any money for the fund, while he said those who had collected receipt books of the fund had either refused to collect the money or failed to pay what they had collected into the fund.