Dear Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,
I write to you out of respect. I have had great respect for you since you ascended the throne as Asantehene. Those who know me well know how I am a ‘nonconformist,’ how ‘unpredictable’ I am. Many were surprised to see me in Manhyia to pick up the Millennium Excellence Award in May this year. That was the first time I met you face-to-face. One of the reasons I accepted the award and to attend the ceremony was my respect for you. I may not even attend a Nobel Prize award ceremony if I am given the award.
Otumfuo, I believe that you are about the only person in Ghana who can use ‘authority’ to stop the devastating effects of galamsey in the country. Our political parties and our politicians have shown that they cannot do this. They have given excuse after excuse, for ‘political convenience’. Maybe it is true that ‘Western Democracy’ is not for us, and cannot solve our problems. Our traditional systems may solve our biggest problems and save us.
I do not know anybody who has the power you have in the country. For the burial of the late Asantehemaa last month, Kumasi was effectively shut down on Thursday, September 18, 2025. Businesses, banks, schools… all closed down to mark their respect for the late Asantehemaa. This is not easy to do. Galamsey is an existential threat to the country. Please use every means to stop it to save the country and the generations after us, even if it means shutting down your kingdom once every month (or even every week) to make people monitor and ensure that we are winning the fight against galamsey.
I might have put my life in danger by deciding to write an ‘open letter’ to you, but this is a price I am willing to pay for my country.
With the greatest respect,
Kofi Effah
Catholic Hospital, Battor
