The Manhyia Palace has directed the Ashanti Youth to apologize to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, for the hasty unwarranted press conference they organized on Wednesday 17th January 2024, to “ban and banish” Chairman Wontumi from the Manhyia Palace.
Reports say the Palace finds their act highly inappropriate and therefore directs the youth to apologize to the Ashanti Regional Chairman for using the name of the palace to issue those unfair remarks at his person.
The Palace has also advised the youth not to allow themselves to be used as political pawns to advance the selfish interests of politicians at the expense of the image of the Manhyia Palace.
This directive came after the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party was cleared by the Kumasi Traditional Council of all charges levelled against him by the Kokosohene, Nana Kwaku Duah.
It became clear at the hearing that, all the allegations were false and politically motivated. Nana Kwaku Duah was as a result directed by the Council to abstain from all forms of partisan political activities including stepping down as the Chairman of the Council of Elders for the Manhyia South constituency.
Background
A coalition of Asante Youth and Market Queens in the Ashanti Region escalated its efforts to urge the Asanteman Council to ban NPP regional chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, from the Manhyia Palace.
The coalition alleged that Wontumi has shown significant disrespect to the Golden Stool and accused him of denigrating the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, during the vetting of parliamentary aspirants.
The NPP stalwart made headlines after he reportedly declared that he had formed his own Kingdom, making him a more powerful establishment than the Asante monarch. The report also said he [Wontumi] could speak his mind to the King when he disagreed with him on issues.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman vehemently denied all these claims and even hinted that these false allegations were sponsored by his political opponents in both the New Patriotic Party and the opposition National Democratic Congress to court disaffection for him in the region and the Palace.
But the Asante group reacted to these unsubstantiated claims with a press conference and series of radio interviews to attack the Regional Chairman without even allowing the claims to be proven.
They went ahead to the Manhyia Palace to declare Chairman Wontumi “persona non grata” in the Palace without taking their time to ascertain the veracity of the claims.
On Monday, 29th January 2024, Manhyia Palace, through the Kumasi Traditional Council, after hearing both sides of the matter, cleared Chairman Wontumi, over the alleged disparaging comments made against Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene.