The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has commended President John Dramani Mahama for a good start of six months into his administration.Speaking through his linguist, he said, he was keenly following President Mahama's governance style and was impressed."You have started well," the Asantehene declared and sought God's blessing and guidance for the President.The Asantehene issued the commendation when he paid a courtesy call on the President at the Jubilee House in Accra on Monday.The visit was to congratulate President Mahama on his victory in the 2024 presidential election as well as to discuss matters of national concern with him."You have remained humble and I urge you to continue being humble.
Don't ever change," Otumfuo Osei Tutu II counseled. According to the Asantehene, President Mahama has kept his 120-day social contract with the people with a high performance rate and has justified the trust of Ghanaians.He also acknowledged that President Mahama may not be able to execute all his electioneering campaign promises but "do what you can and do it well with courage."The Asantehene implored President Mahama's appointees to deliver to justify the confidence reposed in the President and eschew arrogance and corruption in their respective roles.Welcoming Otumfuo Osei Tutu to the seat of government, President Mahama assured the monarch of his government's commitment to work in full partnership with the chieftaincy institution."We do not see traditional leadership as relics of the past but as essential partners in shaping our nation's future," President Mahama stated.The constitutional review process underway, President Mahama said, and that gives an opportunity to clarify the role of traditional leadership in national governance."We believe that the constitution must reflect the lived realities of our people - rural and urban, traditional and modern - and must be responsive to the evolving needs of our society," President Mahama emphasised.The constitutional review, the President hinted, would explore how to better incorporate the wisdom, authority and development roles of chiefs into national governance architecture without compromising the non-partisan character of traditional leadership.He noted that the constitution of the National Governance Advisory Council would provide a format for dialogue between traditional authority, civil society, and the state to ensure that voices of chiefs and values of traditional institutions guided national policy. BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
