The Okyeman Youth Association of Ghana has keenly followed media discussions following the visit of the Eastern Regional house of chiefs led by the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin to the presidency and is highly concerned with the seemingly unending vituperations directed at the Okyenhene in the media by some faceless people hiding under the cover of politics and political power.
Consequently, the youth of Okyeman condemn in no uncertain terms the insults and attempted vilification of the personality of Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the ‘Asona Piesie’ and Great King of Okyeman by surrogates of the ruling NDC especially its executives in the Eastern Region.
The association has come to the firm conclusion that the spate of insults hurled at Osagyefuo by the NDC smacks of some sort of long unsettled scores between the latter and the former. Obviously, the NDC is hurt because the Okyenhene departed from the norm of praise singing the president.
Actually, most of the chiefs who visit the president apart from begging for non forthcoming developmental projects are either busy showering praises on the president at times to his own embarrassment or at best admiring the interior decor of the presidential lounge as if it’s their first time of sighting a well furnished cement building without addressing the very pertinent issues affecting the nation.
The association would like to make the following clarifications on some falsehoods being peddled by surrogates of the NDC to cause public disaffection and hatred towards the Okyenhene
• The Okyenhene spoke on behalf of the entire membership of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs in his capacity as the president of the house and not in his personal capacity as Okyenhene during the visit to the presidency. Subsequently to single out the Okyenhene for vilification other than the full house smacks of hatred for the Okyenhene by the NDC eastern regional executives.
• The call by the Okyenhene for all interested parties in the election petition case being heard by the supreme court of the land to accept the Supreme Court verdict was to the NDC, the NPP, their supporters and all peace loving Ghanaians in general.
• No individual or group of persons prevented the president of the land, His Excellency John Mahama from entering Kyebi Township last December and that nobody could have done that. This was rather a falsehood peddled by some faceless people to ostensibly put Okyeman in a bad light to win political favour, What actually happened was a disagreement in the choice of venue for the NDC rally which the Okyenhene himself intervened and allowed the forecourt of his palace to be used for the said rally.
• Again an attempt to blame Okyenhene for galamsey in Okyeman is to blame all other chiefs in Ghana under whose jurisdiction galamsey occurs.The Okyenhene has actually championed the protection of the environment since his enthronement 1999 culminating in the establishment of agricultural and environmental university at Bunso.
In conclusion, the association states emphatically that the Okyenhene is above petty politicking and would continue to draw the general public’s attention to pertinent issues affecting our country and remains unfazed in these times where some politicians descend heavily on strong discerning opinions. ‘Okyeman y3n hw3 ma ensei’! Long live Okyenhene and Okyeman! Long live Ghana!