Ashanti Youth, Market Queens Roar … Want Chairman Wontumi Banned From Manhyia And All Palaces In Asante Kingdom
Source: tntnewspapergh.com
The Ashanti Regional Chairman for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, who is popularly called Chairman Wontumi, has incurred the anger of the Ashanti Youth and market queens of the various markets in Kumasi over his recent alleged disrespectful remarks about the Golden Stool and Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The group said “per Asante tradition and customs, no individual in the Asante Kingdom can speak his mind to the King, since that would lead to disregard and disrespect to the Golden Stool. Also, members of the Ashanti Youth Association (AYA) want to make it clear that it is only the Asantehene who has a kingdom.
“In this regard, AYA wants to appeal to Manhyia never to give Wontumi an opportunity to enter the Manhyia Palace every time NPP delegation is paying a courtesy call on the King until he publicly renders an unqualified apology to the King and Asanteman as a whole.
“If Chairman Wontumi wants to own his kingdom, he should do it outside the jurisdiction of the Asante Kingdom.”
The above statements were read by Mr. Amaning Kwarteng, the Spokesperson for AYA at a press conference held indoors at the National House of Chiefs on Wednesday, 17th January 2024.
The press conference was attended by ‘queen mothers’ of Bantama Market, Sofoline Market, Kejetia Market, Nana Serwaa Ampem Market (Abinkyi Market), among other markets. Besides, hundreds of traders thronged the venue to demonstrate their solidarity.
In a statement, Mr. Kwarteng stated, “We are, therefore, appealing to all paramount chiefs, divisional chiefs, and subchiefs who pay allegiance to the Golden Stool never to grant Wontumi audience in their various palaces for grossly disrespecting the Golden Stool.”
According to the spokesperson, it has come to the attention of AYA that during the vetting of the NPP parliamentary aspirants in the Manhyia South Constituency on 3rd January 2024 at Asokwa, the Manhyia South NPP Organiser, Alhaji Abuba, had a confrontation with Chairman Wontumi.
He said after Alhaji Abuba’s confrontation with the chairman, the elders of the vetting committee pleaded with him (Abuba) to leave the vetting venue.
He said out of anger, Chairman Wontumi started making unguided statements that “he had built his own kingdom with the military and the police force in the Asante Kingdom, and that he is entitled to speak his mind in the Asante Kingdom if he disagrees with Asantehene.”
