Arguably, the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Council, Daasebre Prof. Emeritus Oti Boateng is the most learned Paramount Chief in Ghana and globally connected.
Let me bore you small with some brief academic and professional credentials of Daasebre Prof. Emeritus Oti Boateng.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Economics from the University of Ghana, a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Statistics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Statistics from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
He worked with the University of Ghana for fourteen years where he was promoted to the position of Senior Research Fellow and Director of Studies at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER).
He had a distinguished service as Government Statistician and head of the Statistical Service for a record period of 18 years from 1982 making him the longest served Government Statistician ever.
For sixteen (16) solid years, Daasebre Oti Boateng was chairman of the sub-technical committee of the Tripartite Committee of Ghana which dealt with technical issues on wages and compensation systems.
In terms of International exposure, Daasebre Oti Boateng got elected chairman of the United Nations Statistical Commission in 1987. Again he is the 1st African Chairperson of the International Conference of Labour Statisticians at its 15th Session in Geneva, Switzerland in January 1993.
Dr. Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben in the Eastern Region is also a member of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) of the United Nations (Commissioner of the UN as from January 1, 2003, for a four-year term).
He has won several prestigious awards around the World.
Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng was enstooled Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional area in 1992.
With all these global exposures, one couldn’t have judged wrongly that New Juaben Traditional Area was going to witness significant development under his traditional leadership should he had pulled investors and foreign partners using his connections and distinguished personality to develop the traditional area.
But these expectations seem to have fallen flat on the face of probability.
Fast-forward to COVID-19 pandemic without going into the nitty-gritty of disunity in the traditional Authority and perceived authoritarianism which has ruined development in the Traditional Area to the extent that Akwantukese Festival continue to struggle in relevance.
On the COVID-19 outbreak, we are seeing many traditional rulers in the country helping in mobilizing resources to health facilities and institutions in their jurisdictions to better position it contains the spread of COVID-19.
For instance, Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, about two weeks ago, donated sanitizers and GH¢100,000.00 to two hospitals in Ho for the fight against COVID-19.
The hospitals are; Ho Teaching Hospital – GH¢60,000.00 and Ho Municipal Hospital – GH¢40,000.00.
Togbe Afede who is also the President of the National House of Chiefs also gave over 2,200 hand sanitizers to the hospitals and communities in the Asogli State.
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu has set up a humanitarian relief program dubbed “Manhyia Palace COVID-19 Humanitarian Relief “through which resources are being mobilized to support health facilities and provide food items to the vulnerable affected by the Lockdown of Greater Kumasi.
One would have expected that the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Prof. Emeritus Oti Boateng will also use his local and international connections and reverence to mobilize resources for health facilities and other institutions in the traditional area given that, the Eastern Regional Hospital-Koforidua which is a treatment center for COVID-19 patients’ needs more personal Protective Equipment(PPEs).
In a recent interview with the New Juaben Municipal Health Director, Dr. Edmund Ekow Kaitoo, he said the directorate was “lockdown” due to lack of PPEs.
But sadly, the New Juaben Traditional council seems apathetic about its role during a devastating period like this. The only time the traditional council was heard on COVID-19 was a few weeks ago when together with the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly issued a joint directive suspending public gatherings in line with President Akufo-Addo’s directive.
Many residents in the New Juaben Traditional Council Continue to ask “so do we have a chief?.
It seems to suggest that the Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Oti Boateng is more interested in academic activities than lobbying for development for his subjects. This is a hard truth!
Indeed, he would be remembered for his excellent academic speeches during events and occasions, and his knowledge in economics and statistics and contribution to statistics globally.
However, I wonder if his subjects would remember him for meeting their expectation in terms of lobbying for development to the municipality.
The Omanhene launched a Traditional Area Development Day (TADD). The TADD is under the root-Based Economic Development (r-BED) model designed base on research commissioned by, Daasebre Prof. (Emeritus) Oti Boateng.
The r-BED, he said is an award-winning model that seeks to push for development at the grassroots, in partnership with traditional authorities.
The big question many of his subjects are asking is that has the Omanhene turned the “Yiadom -Hwedie Royal Stool” into an academic faculty rather than development stool?
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
