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The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has called for a shift from the centralised system of governance to one that empowers citizens and regions to take ownership of their resources.
He said the inherited colonial system that concentrated power and resources in Accra had failed to deliver equitable development.
“Nothing changes unless we change ourselves. We have to change our attitude. We have to change the system that we inherited from the British…the system that centralises government,” he said.
He was speaking at the launch of the autobiography of Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, a media luminary in Accra.
In the 22-Chapter book, titled: What I choose to remember and published by DigiBooks, Nana Gyan-Apenteng employs the skill of humour and storytelling and takes readers on a journey of his life, sharing intriguing experiences from his childhood days, adult life, work, and experiences abroad.
The book offers a step-by-step account of the life of the author and how the various experiences of his upbringing have influenced his leftist journey through student activism, journalism, and political advocacy.
Nana Gyan-Apenteng was the Board Chair of the Ghana News Agency until his demise.
Also a former NMC Chairman, he died in May this year in London, United Kingdom, where he was seeking medical treatment, aged 74.
The Okyenhene urged bold reforms in the country’s governance structures.
“I think we need to decentralise our country. I think we should begin to let our country be owned by Ghanaians…. The people of this country should be able to take control of their resources,” he added.
Osagyefo Ofori Panin said critics should not reject the reforms over suspicion that the resources would be controlled by the chiefs.
“Forget about us, the chiefs — and let people control their own resources to ensure accountability,” he added.
The Okyenhene described the late Nana Gyan-Apenteng as “a great man” and praised his character as someone who was interested in the welfare of humanity than material wealth.
The acting Board Chair of the Ghana News Agency, Dr Nana Charles Sifa Twum, paid tribute to the late Nana Gyan-Apenteng and extolled his achievement of completing his autobiography before his demise.
He said Nana Gyan-Apenteng was a man who fought well for his country and spoke against the ills of society without fear of persecution.
“For us in the media space, what we need to do is to continue where he left off. We need to talk about devices in society; we need to fight by our voices and I think when we do these things posterity will judge us,” Dr Twum said. -
