Asantenhene damns Ashanti MP’s for lack of showing interest to develop the region.
Tells them to focus on home, stop the hypocrisy and over-enjoying Accra
The Asantehene, has told Members of Parliament from the Ashanti Region to focus their attention more on the developmental needs of the region.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, accused all MPs from the region of over-enjoying the capital, Accra, where their legislative duties are based, to the detriment of their bases.
He said this while addressing a fundraising event to revamp the main teaching hospital in the region, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) which is in a very deplorable state due to poor maintenance culture, forcing the overlord of Asanteman to intervene.
Sounding rather angry in his speech at the gathering that had the MPs present, he stated: “I am telling you to be serious and focus on the region, it seems you are enjoying Accra too much, Accra is becoming too sweet for you. Stop the hypocrisy and focus, this is what will bring you glory in Accra,” he stressed to cheers from the gathering.
KATH is located in Kumasi and gets referrals from all the northern regions namely, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions), Brong Ahafo, Central, Western, Eastern and parts of the Volta Regions.
On Friday, November 10, 2023, at the KATH premises, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, rejected a written speech in the presence of hundreds of people gathered at the hospital.
“Instead of delivering his speech in English, the Monarch chose to use the local dialect of the Asantes – Twi, to address the congregation to the surprise and admiration of all present,” Opemsuo.com reported.
The official mouthpiece for Manhyia Palace added that “His Majesty, in the course of his submission, noted that the condition of the hospital did not require an eloquent speech, but understanding in championing the good cause.
“This is not the time to be eloquent,” he said, reasoning with the public to support the renovation and justifying the rejection of the written speech.
“The state of the hospital is a matter of an emergency, and that’s why we are here. Corporate institutions, businesses, professionals, and all must contribute their quota. No amount is meager.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, entreated all Ghanaians, Corporate institutions, businesses, professionals, etc to contribute their quota to save KATH.
The Ashanti overlord, characterized the current state of the hospital as embarrassing and stressed the urgent need to raise funds to attend to the building, which is close to 70 years old.
He disclosed that, he inspected the hospital on two different occasions —all at midnight- to ascertain the degree of its dilapidation and then charged the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Prof Otchere Addai-Mensah, and some executives of the hospital to develop a financial proposal for the renovation.
“I’ve been there twice all at midnight to inspect the hospital. I saw the sorry state it sits in…Why should the hospital suffer this fate, if Komfo Anokye himself never got ill? So I promised to amass help for this project.”
“12 out of 16 regions, have their patients referred here. Patients get drenched when it rains and the exposed wires can cause fire outbreaks when rainwater comes into contact with the wires. Even the new Emergency Ward is in dire need of renovation. We will be brought to this hospital when the need arises and so there is a need to work it out.”
According to him, the project cannot wait for any government, since many governments reigned and ended their tenure without any particular attention to the hospital.
The Asantehene, passionately appealed to various households in the Ashanti Region to donate GH¢200 a month towards the renovation of KATH.
The project dubbed ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ is being spearheaded by him to mobilize $10 million to renovate the 70-year-old facility.
Within minutes of this, Ashantis both home and abroad spoke.
According to The Asante Nation, a social media handle affiliated with the Manhyia Palace, millions of Ghana cedis were received from Ghanaians both home and abroad an hour after Otumfuo’s appeal.
A list of the contributions made shared by Asante Nation on X showed the likes of the MP for Bantama, Francis Asenso Boakye, MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak, MP for Subin Eugene Boakye Antwi, the Majority Leader and MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, all contributing GHC100,000 each.
Some of the largest contributions on the list, include a $1.2 million contribution by Justmoh Construction, GHC1 million by Unijay Fashion, and GHC100, 000 by the Asante Caucus in Parliament.
