The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged Ghanaians to move beyond political debates and focus on enterprise, innovation, and national progress, emphasising the need for the country to become “a nation of builders.” Addressing the Ghana Business Leaders’ Conclave at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, on Friday, May 15, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II reflected on Ghana’s upcoming 70th anniversary of independence and questioned whether the nation has successfully transformed its freedom into tangible prosperity and opportunities for its people.
“Our nation stands only a few months shy of her 70th birthday. We are within reach of seven decades as a sovereign independent nation,” he remarked. The Asantehene also commended Ghana’s pivotal role in Africa’s liberation movements, highlighting the country’s support for anti-colonial and anti-apartheid efforts across the continent.
Additionally, he recognised Ghana’s impact on the global stage, citing the achievements of prominent figures like former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other internationally renowned personalities who have brought honour to the nation. Despite these achievements, Otumfuo said Ghana must critically examine whether independence has truly improved the lives of ordinary citizens.
“We must ask whether the promise of independence has been translated into prosperity in every home, opportunity for every child, and dignity for every citizen,” he stated. According to him, the economy remains the clearest measure of national progress because it determines the quality of life of citizens, including access to food, shelter, education, healthcare and security.
The Asantehene said Ghana’s development journey over the years has been overly centred on politics instead of productive enterprise and nation-building. “We must be honest enough to admit that the past decades have been too dominated by politics and not always by politicians of the kind that build nations. Allegiance to party has too often been stronger than allegiance to the state,” he said.
He further lamented that society often celebrates politicians while overlooking entrepreneurs, innovators and hardworking citizens whose efforts drive economic growth. “We have sung the praises of politicians and ignored those whose toil, innovation and enterprise drive nations forward,” he added.
Calling for a new direction, the Asantehene stressed that the time had come for Ghana to prioritise business development, production and value creation. “We have had enough of talk. Ghana must now become a nation of builders. We must move from political rhetoric to building a business. We must move from slogans to production,” he declared.
He urged Ghanaians to embrace hard work, discipline, sacrifice and innovation as the foundation for building a resilient and sustainable economy. “We must move from lamentation to enterprise. We must move from dependency to value creation. We must move from the garden path of promises to the hard road of work, discipline, sacrifice and innovation,” he said.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II further described the coming decade as a critical period that should be dedicated to economic transformation and ethical business growth. “The decade before us must be the decade of business, the decade in which all our energies are directed towards building a strong, resilient, ethical and sustainable economy,” he noted.
While calling on political leaders to maintain stability and provide the right policy environment, the Asantehene stressed that the responsibility for national development does not rest on government alone. “The duty to create, to innovate, to build enterprises, to create jobs and to add value to our natural resources rests also upon citizens, entrepreneurs, professionals and institutions such as this university,” he stated.
Source: Abigail Arthur