"Crack the whip without fear or favour"- Otumfuo

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of the Asante Kingdom on Friday appealed to government to crack the whip on public office holders found in corrupt practices without fear or favour.

He said fighting corruption demanded collective efforts and also appealed to all in the country to assist government to eliminate the canker.


Otumfuo Osei Tutu said this when he addressed the maiden special congregation at the University of Professional Studies (UPS) where he and two other Ghanaian personalities were awarded honorary doctorate degrees.


Other awardees were; Right Honourable Edward Korbly Doe Adjaho, Speaker of Parliament and Honourable Albert Kan-Dapaah, Member of Parliament for Efigya- Sekyere East and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.


Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was awarded for his world-wide celebrated Royalty by bringing dignity and modernity to kinship and his contribution to society, particularly in education, Honourable Doe Ajaho as an accomplished statesman, Legislator, by shaping democracy and legislation of Ghana’s political landscape and Honourable Kan-Dapaah for his distinction as an Accountant, Auditor and his immense contribution to his Alma Mater and society.


Also in attendance were; President John Dramani Mahama, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, Minority leader in Parliament and Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister for Education.

Otumfuo attributed the negative repercussions the single spine salary structure was having on the Ghanaian economy to inadequate due diligence and called on government to create a road-map to change the trend.


He denounced some of the falsehood the media were peddling, particularly on electronic media networks, adding that, such falsehood could lead to acrimony and bitterness.


The Asante King appealed to government to adequately resource institutions to ensure effective democracy in the country.


Professor Joshua Alabi, Vice Chancellor of the UPS, described the special congregation as historic since that was the first time it was holding the special congregation to confer doctorate degrees on personalities of the country.


He gave the assurance that they would work assiduously to put in the right mechanisms to establish best business courses within the country and beyond.

The Vice Chancellor also commended Former President Jerry John Rawlings for offering a fertile ground for improving infrastructure on campus and former President John Agyekum Kufuor for granting the University a charter to offer graduate and post graduate courses.


He said the University has acquired international business certificate to offer courses that would make their certificates and degrees of graduates internationally recognized.


Professor Alabi said the university would soon establish the Otumfuo centre of traditional leadership to provide the opportunity for teaching of Ghanaian culture, conflict management and resolution and to exhibit Ghanaian heritage.