The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has expressed confidence that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will continue to inspire the world with his celebrated leadership in peacemaking.
Emphasising the importance of peace, she said the Asantehene’s acclaimed peacemaking efforts are a masterclass that cannot be overlooked.
Addressing the World-Meets-in-Ghana Executive Dinner Ball, which celebrated Otumfuo as a ‘Pillar of Peace’ on his 27th coronation anniversary in Kumasi, she stated that Otumfuo deserves to be celebrated as a world leader and a pillar of peace. “His Majesty has shown over many years that traditional leadership and modern statecraft are not in contradiction. At their best, they strengthen one another.
The moral authority of tradition, exercised with wisdom and integrity, can help societies find balance, restore dialogue, and move forward together, anchored in values tested by time,” she said.
Ms Botchwey asserted that the leadership provided by His Majesty is crucial now more than ever in the face of sharp tensions and uncertainty, conflict, mistrust, democratic strain, economic anxiety, and communities unsettled by rapid change.
Addressing these issues, she explained, requires the kind of leadership that Otumfuo embodies. “The response to this is leadership that is steady enough to calm tensions. Leadership that is generous enough to build bridges.
Leadership that understands that dignity, dialogue, and justice are not abstract ideals but the foundations of national and regional cohesion and lasting progress,” she said.
Congratulations
She congratulated Otumfuo on the anniversary. “Your Majesty, on behalf of the Commonwealth, on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III, your dear friend, and in my own name, I pay tribute to your distinguished service. We honour your commitment to peace.
We honour your service to Asanteman, to Ghana, and to the world. And we honour the example you continue to offer to all who believe that leadership should unite, not divide; leadership should heal, not inflame; and leadership should leave a nation stronger, calmer, and more confident than it was before.
Your Majesty, may your legacy continue to inspire, and may Ghana and the wider world continue to draw strength from the truth that peace is our greatest virtue.”
