Asantehene did not snub Carter

The Manhyia office of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has refuted allegations that the Asantehene snubbed a group of visiting Americans led by Mr. James Chip Carter, son of former United States President, Jimmy Carter.

Speaking to the DAILY GUIDE on 23.10.2002, Mr. Kofi Owusu Boateng, Asantehene’s personal secretary, assured that His Majesty the Asantehene, was not involved in any way with what happened.

According to the paper, Land Tours Ghana Ltd. sought permission to visit the Palace on last Wednesday with Chip Carter’s International Friendship Force, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) but as protocol demands at the Palace, a protocol man should be present to usher in visitors.

However, in their case, according to Mr. Boateng, the protocol man informed him that the visitors were improperly dressed and for that matter he could take only Chip Carter, who was more decently dressed and two others to see the Asantehene in private.

Mr. Boateng told the paper that, Mr. Carter insisted on entering the Palace with the whole group and he also stood on his ground on “matters of principle” since protocol demands that you must be decently dressed to see the Asantehene.