We knelt before Otumfuo to plead for forgiveness – John Boadu clarifies

The Acting General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu has clarified why some leading members of the party knelt before Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

According to Mr. Boadu, they took the action to plead for clemency in a bid to assuage Otumfou’s anger, however, he did not say exactly what they had done wrong.

There were media reports suggesting that the Asantehene was angry because of claims that some persons close to the government of attempting to pitch him [Otumfuo] against the Akyem tribe [in the Eastern Region].

The reports claimed that Mr. Boadu, who is contesting for the substantive General Secretary position of the NPP, had gone to the Manhyia Palace last to seek Otumfuo’s blessing when the incident occurred.

According to Mr. Boadu, he was accompanied by the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and a host of other NPP stalwarts.

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“We saw from his [Otumfuo’s] speech that there was something going on that he was unhappy with….he was complaining about it. You know that as part of our culture, if you are a child you can’t have a dispute with an adult and be guiltless. No matter what, because we were in front of a revered person, we had to give him the necessary respect. So that is why when he started complaining and we realized that from the way things were going, we had to plead for forgiveness,” he said on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen on Friday.

Mr. Boadu said when they realized that the conversation was becoming sour, “those of us in front had to kneel and plead with him [Otumfuo]…you can’t plead with someone while standing on your feet.”

He said after kneeling for a while, Otumfuo “subsequently told us to get up.”