The Asante Youth Association (AYA), a vociferous youth group in the Ashanti Region has expressed worry over what it terms as a ‘deliberate’ ploy to collapse businesses belonging to natives of Asanteman.
Addressing a press conference at the House of Chiefs premises in Manhyia early Monday, Tweneboah Kodua, secretary for the group said some persons within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are bent on shutting down the businesses of Asante royals.
This ploy, Mr Koduah noted is to make Asantes look and feel inferior to tribes in the Eastern Region of the country.
The AYA secretary said a typical example of the ploy is the one that has been hatched against Dr Kwabena Duffuor, a former Finance Minister of Ghana and owner of the famous but liquidated bank, Unibank.
‘’We have taken notice of a veiled agenda against people with roots to Asanteman and it is very worrying that their businesses are being targeted just to bring them down and make them irrelevant to the scheme of things in the country.
CONTRIBUTION OF ASANTES:
Narrating the contributions of people of Asante roots, Mr Koduah said the whole of the Ashanti Region had been developed by Asantes.
The buildings in and properties in the ancient land, the AYA secretary indicated had been fearlessly put up by people with roots in Asanteman.
He noted that the people of Asante have since colonial days until the time of the current Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene have taken time to use resources of the region to develop same.
According to the AYA chief scribe, Asantes have never settled for less and therefore have led in the forefront of development across the region and in Ghana as a whole.
‘’ Throughout our rich history Asantes have never settled for less and we will not allow this government or any future government to treat our traditional authorities and business icons with disdain or contempt’’, Mr Koduah intimated.
RESISTANCE:
The AYA scribe announced that the group would be watching from now how government would deal with the matters they have raised.
The earlier these persons in government stop the deliberate targeting of Asante indigenes, Mr Koduah stated would also mark the start of full collaboration of his outfit to ensure they develop Ashanti and the country as a whole.
‘’We as a people would fully cooperate and collaborate with this government to implement all of its policies when we realize it is treating our people with the respect they deserve’’, Mr Koduah posited passionately.