Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II speaking at the 5th Mediterranean Tourism Forum in Malta
The monarch of the Ashanti Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on Friday, March 2, 2018 declared a 21st Century ‘War’ at the 5th Mediterranean Tourism Forum in Malta.
Giving a historical antecedent of the Ashanti Kingdom, he described it as one that hitherto to present democracies, had large armies that fought wars to protect its territories and conquered others to take over their lands among other interests.
“Ashantis never fought wars that lacked aggression, such wars lack purpose. But we fought wars for territorial expansion to gain more land and resources for the use by the people. Sometimes we waged wars to control trade routes and gain access to important markets, while other wars were to secure the boundaries of the state”, he said.
The King, however, noted that the Ashanti Kingdom in present day is a Traditional Area in the Republic of Ghana which is engaged in wars in a different fronts just like others.
He therefore declared war on illiteracy, poverty, disease and unemployment to promote development in his Kingdom and beyond, calling for the needed support in this regard.
“I am committed to fighting a different type of war in the 21st century, a war on development”, he stressed.
To this end, he called for collaboration particularly in the fight against illiteracy, poverty, disease and unemployment revealing investments potentials in the area of Tourism, Agriculture and Mining within his Kingdom.
He also questioned the ‘under development’ phraseology often associated with Africa although the continent abounds in abundant resources but continue to grope in the dream land for economic solution.
In reference to the rare center of arts and culture, democratic stability, peace coupled with the rich variety of faun and fauna including limitless stretch of coastline in Ghana especially, His Royal Majesty pointed to the uniqueness of Africa.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II underlined the need for Africa and world policy makers to attach importance to the vast different natural and human resources of Africa for investment into a high-tech infrastructural points for economic activities and attractive products for the global tourism industry.
