shatta Bandle’s advise to Otumfuo osei Tutu ll and Former prez. John Mahama.

In this month of september 2019, Otumfuo osei Tutu ll attended a general UN meeting which he had an opportunity to address the audience . In his speech , he tagged former president John mahama , which has raised a big fire storm in Ghana as Former president John Mahama addressed it differently.

He said he had to use his high office – the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi – to intervene at the right time when a losing candidate was unwilling to concede defeat

The popular dwarf billionaire shatta Bundle has realized that , there is a need for him to advise this two elders if they fails to advise themselvies.

shatta Bandle Advise for Otumfuo

“Otumfuo should stay out of politics , else children will even disrespect his office . Otumfuo is a man of himself so why should he involve himself in dirty politics ;politics will also reduce the respect ghanains have for him and his kingdom” , said shatta Bandle.

To former president John Mahama, ” however Otumfuo made his statement , he deserved not to be disrespected as the way you( John Mahama ) and your paarty handled him. He can be your father , you always use to seek his cooperation and advise during your time in office”. said shatta Bandle.

Flashback

Then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made history on December 7, 2016 when against all odds, he defeated incumbent John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with over one million votes margin.

While Nana Akufo-Addo’s 5,716,026 votes (53.85%) appreciated significantly vis-à-vis the votes he garnered in 2012, the votes of then President Mahama (4,713,277 votes which translates into 44.40%) dropped as compared to his votes in 2012, widening the gap with 1,002,749 votes, which made then 72-year-old Nana Akufo-Addo become the 5th President in the 4th Republic.

Sour Loser

The Asantehene did not mention the name of the said candidate but it is common knowledge that the incumbent Mahama was on his way out.

He said the loser of the elections, had issues with the outcome of the polls and that was generating high tension to the chagrin of the United Nations (UN) representative and the Diplomatic Community until he (Otumfuo) stepped in to weather the storm.

Otumfuo, who was addressing the United Nations (UN) General Assembly High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace 20th Anniversary in the UN Headquarters in New York, the United States (US), therefore said traditional leaders are still useful to national development and nation-building.

The programme was graced by the President of the UN, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, and some top dignitaries from the world body.

“At the conclusion of the last presidential and parliamentary elections, the country stood on the edge of disaster. The United Nations representative and the diplomatic community were aghast and alarmed that Ghana was about to slip down the slope of the electoral violence,” the Asantehene said

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Moral Authority

“Fortunately, the moral authority of the palace was at hand. We were able to intervene to persuade the losing candidate to accept his fate and to fly both candidates for a quiet encounter to pave way for a smooth handover,”he disclosed.

“These are the highest examples of the crucial roles, behind the curtains, when the moral force of traditional authority is harnessed to protect and sustain the peace, unity and security of Ghana,” he added.

Otumfuo noted that Africa and for that matter Ghana had accepted democracy and the rule of law as the only form of governance and he as the King of Asantes, which is one of the most powerful kingdoms, had been playing his role to make democracy.

2012 Episode

Otumfuo also disclosed that in 2012, he used his high office to invite all the political parties in the country to converge on Kumasi, where they signed a declaration to respect and abide by the outcome of the presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Asantehene recounted that he had used his 20 years on the sacred Golden Stool of Asanteman to ensure that Ghana always experienced peaceful transition of political power after every presidential and parliamentary election in the country.

“During my 20 years reign as Asantehene, I have always worked to ensure smooth transition of political power after each election based on the results of the elections. I have held tripartite meetings between outgoing and incoming presidents of Ghana for smooth change of power,” he disclosed.

He argued strongly that the traditional authority in Ghana had played huge roles behind the scenes, and that had always helped to maintain and protect the peaceful environment, which is crucially needed in order to promote effective transformation.

Dagbon Crisis

Besides, Otumfuo said he led a committee of Eminent Chiefs appointed by the Government of Ghana in 2002 to successfully resolve the protracted Dagbon chieftaincy crisis in the northern part of Ghana, which had the potential of escalating into a national disaster.

“It was a crisis that could have gone out of control. It was complex like those that have given Africa a bad name, and peace has been restored there after 17 years. The Dagbon issue shows that we can always use dialogue to resolve conflicts in the world,” he said.

“I, therefore, call for a new partnership between elected government and traditional authorities, not in the spirit of rivalry, but in the spirit of authentic collaboration,” the Asante King remarked, adding that traditional leaders are agents of peace, unity and progress.

MAHAMA REPLIED OTUMFUO OSEI TUTU FOR HIS STATEMENT.

ormer President John Dramani Mahama has presented a different narrative on the events that led to the declaration of President Akufo-Addo as winner of the 2016 presidential election.

Contrary to what Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, stated in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, that the Palace had to intervene to persuade the losing candidate to accept defeat, Mr Mahama says he conceded defeat on his own accord.

Read the full statement signed by his then Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Deborah

OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON REPORTS SUGGESTING THAT HE JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA REFUSED TO ACCEPT & CONCEDE DEFEAT IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Reference is made to a video recording of an address by His Majesty the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the UN High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, which seems to suggest that former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama had to be persuaded to concede defeat in the 2016 Presidential Election.

As former Chief of Staff to President Mahama, I was associated closely with all the pre, during and post 2016 poll events. I state without equivocation that the decision to concede and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were declared was taken by President Mahama himself without any persuasion from any quarter.

Following the meeting with the party, he called a number of personalities including President Jerry John Rawlings, President John Agyekum Kufuor, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, National Chief Imam Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu, Rev. Ernest Agyei of the Ringway Assemblies of God Church and Archbishop Duncan Williams.

As Otumfuo himself has already stated publicly, under his auspices, there were three meetings held in Kumasi between President Mahama and then Candidate/President-Elect Nana Akufo-Addo during the period.

The first was prior to the December 07 election in which the two candidates promised to play fair and respect the will of the people. Indeed, President Mahama in a conversation with Nana Akufo-Addo said he hoped Nana was not going to tie down the nation in a court case again after the 2016 elections.

The other two meetings took place after the official declaration of the results of the elections, and to re-emphasise, after President Mahama had publicly conceded and congratulated Nana Akufo-Addo. Those two meetings focused on matters arising out of the transition process.

President Mahama made a commitment to the people of Ghana, never to be the one to subject them to the periods of unease, political instability and the doubts they experienced after the 2008 and 2012 elections. He remained true to that commitment and exemplified it after the 2016 elections.

Mr. Julius Debrah Former Chief of Staff Accra.

Read the full statement signed by his then Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Deborah

OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON REPORTS SUGGESTING THAT HE JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA REFUSED TO ACCEPT & CONCEDE DEFEAT IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Reference is made to a video recording of an address by His Majesty the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the UN High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, which seems to suggest that former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama had to be persuaded to concede defeat in the 2016 Presidential Election.

As former Chief of Staff to President Mahama, I was associated closely with all the pre, during and post 2016 poll events. I state without equivocation that the decision to concede and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were declared was taken by President Mahama himself without any persuasion from any quarter.

The Asantehene has over the years been a very respected interlocutor in Ghana’s multi-party political engagements. He has been generous in his wise counsel to present and former Presidents.

It is public knowledge that President Mahama willingly announced his decision to accept the outcome of the 2016 elections and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were formally declared by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.

On the day President Mahama willingly conceded defeat, he met with then Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah- Arthur, NDC Chairman Kofi Portuphy, General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia, together with some high ranking members of the party and informed them of his decision to call and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo.

Former President John Dramani Mahama has presented a different narrative on the events that led to the declaration of President Akufo-Addo as winner of the 2016 presidential election.

Contrary to what Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, stated in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, that the Palace had to intervene to persuade the losing candidate to accept defeat, Mr Mahama says he conceded defeat on his own accord.

Read the full statement signed by his then Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Deborah

OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON REPORTS SUGGESTING THAT HE JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA REFUSED TO ACCEPT & CONCEDE DEFEAT IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Reference is made to a video recording of an address by His Majesty the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the UN High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, which seems to suggest that former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama had to be persuaded to concede defeat in the 2016 Presidential Election.

As former Chief of Staff to President Mahama, I was associated closely with all the pre, during and post 2016 poll events. I state without equivocation that the decision to concede and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were declared was taken by President Mahama himself without any persuasion from any quarter.

The Asantehene has over the years been a very respected interlocutor in Ghana’s multi-party political engagements. He has been generous in his wise counsel to present and former Presidents.

It is public knowledge that President Mahama willingly announced his decision to accept the outcome of the 2016 elections and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo even before the official results were formally declared by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.

On the day President Mahama willingly conceded defeat, he met with then Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah- Arthur, NDC Chairman Kofi Portuphy, General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketia, together with some high ranking members of the party and informed them of his decision to call and congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo.

Following the meeting with the party, he called a number of personalities including President Jerry John Rawlings, President John Agyekum Kufuor, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, National Chief Imam Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu, Rev. Ernest Agyei of the Ringway Assemblies of God Church and Archbishop Duncan Williams.

As Otumfuo himself has already stated publicly, under his auspices, there were three meetings held in Kumasi between President Mahama and then Candidate/President-Elect Nana Akufo-Addo during the period.

The first was prior to the December 07 election in which the two candidates promised to play fair and respect the will of the people. Indeed, President Mahama in a conversation with Nana Akufo-Addo said he hoped Nana was not going to tie down the nation in a court case again after the 2016 elections.

The other two meetings took place after the official declaration of the results of the elections, and to re-emphasise, after President Mahama had publicly conceded and congratulated Nana Akufo-Addo. Those two meetings focused on matters arising out of the transition process.

President Mahama made a commitment to the people of Ghana, never to be the one to subject them to the periods of unease, political instability and the doubts they experienced after the 2008 and 2012 elections. He remained true to that commitment and exemplified it after the 2016 elections.

Mr. Julius Debrah Former Chief of Staff Accra.