The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has issued a strong statement on the role of politicians in the development of the Ashanti Region.
During a courtesy call by the World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa at the Manhyia Palace on January 10, 2025, the Asantehene highlighted the persistent delays in projects meant for Kumasi and attributed these delays to bureaucratic hurdles in Accra.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II emphasized the need for the project office to be located in Kumasi rather than being managed from Accra.
“I don’t know what is delaying it, but the project office should be here. We shouldn’t be running projects here when we have the office in Accra. The project unit should be here, and the project coordinator must also be resident here, so that at least the stakeholders, the district assemblies, will be able to coordinate to know how it goes. So these are issues that I want us to look at properly to fruition,” he said.
He insisted that the project coordinator should be a resident of Kumasi to ensure better coordination and efficiency.
“I cannot depend on the politicians for my development. I don’t want to depend on them,” he stated, expressing his disappointment with the way Ashanti politicians have managed the city and its people.
The Asantehene also called for a social contract to effectively drive development, stressing the importance of infrastructure. “In terms of development, if we have the infrastructure, everything will be fine. I don’t want to depend on politicians, so let’s have a social contract and then we do it,” he added.
The World Bank Vice President responded positively to the Asantehene’s concerns, acknowledging the need for localized management to overcome bureaucratic delays and ensure the timely completion of projects in Kumasi.
