Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has expressed concern about declining public confidence in leadership across politics and public institutions.
Speaking at the Ghana Business Leaders Conclave held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Friday, May 15, Otumfuo said “every four or eight years, we welcome leaders with great hope. Yet too often, loyalty is short-lived, trust is fragile and our heroes soon end up in the depths of disappointment.”
He warned that without rebuilding trust in leadership and institutions, building the nation, Ghana could not be achieved.
“Democracy requires elections but nation-building requires trust. Democracy changes governments but trust sustains societies,” he added.
The conclave was held under the theme: “Leading with Integrity, Negotiation, Mediation and Ethical Governance for Business Sustainability.”
The Traditional leader further called for a bold national shift from partisan politics to enterprise-led development, declaring that Ghana must now focus on building businesses, creating value and driving economic transformation.
He noted that the country’s nearly 70 years of independence had rather been characterised by more political rhetoric than meaningful economic progress.
“We have had enough of the talk. Ghana must now become a nation of builders,” he stated.
According to him, the country must move beyond slogans and dependency towards productivity and innovation.
“We must move from political rhetoric to building business. We must move from slogans to production. We must move from lamentation to enterprise. We must move from dependency to value creation,” he stressed.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said although Ghana had gained international respect for its historic contributions to Africa’s liberation struggles, the country must critically assess whether independence had 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 noted.
The Asantehene argued that the next decade should be dedicated to sustainable economic growth.
“The decade before us must be a decade of business. It must be a decade in which all our energies are directed towards building a strong, resilient, ethical and sustainable economy,” he said.
He added that countries such as United States, China, India, Singapore and Vietnam had achieved economic success through enterprise, technology and innovation rather than excessive political division.
“In today’s world, business is the driver of prosperity,” he remarked.
Otumfuo also commended UPSA and the Otumfuo Centre for Traditional Leadership for organising the conclave, describing it as a potentially transformative initiative capable of reshaping Ghana’s national development agenda.
“This conclave has the potential to mark a turning point in national orientation,” he stated.
