No 'all-die-be-die': Prez Mahama declares

President John Mahama has urged politicians to desist from threatening mayhem on the country and indulging in war-mongering in their bid to capture political power, saying, it is God who chooses a leader for a nation.

"There should be nothing like 'all-die-be-die,' all of us are Ghanaians, and one people with a common destiny," he stated, at a durbar of the chiefs and, people of the Ashanti Region, which took place at the forecourt of the Manhyia palace in Kumasi on Wednesday.

The durbar, formed part of the President's Thank you tour of the region, and brought together members of the Asanteman Council, traditional authorities, opinion leaders, party sympathizers, supporters and a cross-section of Ghanaians.

The President, on arrival in Kumasi, paid a courtesy call on the Asantehemaa, Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem, after which he went through some principal streets, responding to cheers from scores of people, before heading for the durbar grounds.

Stressing the need for national cohesion, President Mahama pointed out that politicians have a common goal of working to improve the lot of the people just that they have different ideologies, in realising such objectives.

There is, therefore, no need to beat war drums or employ weapons in the quest to govern a nation, he said. "God himself will select a leader for our country," he emphasized.

He reiterated his pledge to liaise with the security agencies to ensure that the December election passes off in a transparent, free and fair manner.

President Mahama expressed concern about the decline in the nation's time-tested traditions and culture concerning respect for the aged and the elderly and appealed to the chiefs, who are the custodians of Ghanaian culture, to help stem the phenomenon in its tide.

He expressed regret that discussions on radio and other media outlets, which could be done with decency and decorum, has been reduced to shouting matches, insults and character assassinations and underscored the need to reverse the trend.

Pledging to continue the development projects started in the region by his predecessor and initiating new ones, President Mahama stated that the Ashanti region contributes immensely to the national growth, citing cocoa and gold, which are major foreign exchange earners for the country, produced in the region.

For that reason, he said the region would receive its fair share of developments and asked the people to have faith in the government.

President Mahama expressed his appreciation to Asanteman for their words of encouragement and solidarity during the trying times which followed the sudden death of President J.E.A. Mills. He also thanked Nananom for their support in giving the late leader a befitting burial.

Speaking on behalf of the Asantehene, who was said to be out of the country, the Daasebre Osei Bonsu, the Mamponghene, commended the government for ensuring a successful funeral and burial for the late leader.

He recalled that following the unfortunate incident, the Asantehene dispatched a delegation to the seat of government, to express their condolences to the government, the bereaved family and the people of Ghana.

Daasebre Bonsu added the Asantehene's voice to calls on the government to ensure incident-free general election in December, saying the national interest should override all other considerations.

He advised President Mahama to remain strong and steadfast in such challenging times and pledged the support of Nananom to the government's quest to better the lot of people.