Wontumi’s radio, TV station should be closed down till he appears before us – Ashanti chiefs

Some chiefs of the Asanteman Traditional Council are calling for the closure of Wontumi Radio and TV over the comments made by the owner of the media house, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), against the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the presenter at Wontumi TV, Maurice Ampaw, against the chiefs of the council.

At an emergency council meeting on the issue on Monday, January 22, 2024, some of the chiefs said that the media house operations must be suspended until the two men appear before the council.

“If he (Chairman Wontumi) fails to appear, we are saying that the Baffour, Bantamahene Owusu Amankwatia IV, who is sitting in the stead of the Asantehene, should close down the station till he comes,” one of the chiefs suggested.

The Bantamahene, Baffour Owusu Amankwatia IV, who chaired the meeting, went on to order the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP and management of Wontumi to appear before the council on Monday, January 29, 2024.

He said that the management of the media house must explain why it allowed such comments to be made during their programmes.

“… We need him here on Monday whatever be the case. If he is coming he should come with Maurice Ampaw and the entire management of Wontumi for them to come and explain why Maurice Ampaw is insulting us.

“And also explain why they have given Maurice Ampaw the platform to do such a thing,” Amankwatia IV said.

What Maurice Ampaw said:

Maurice Ampaw, while reacting to the Asanteman Council summoning the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), over derogatory remarks he supposedly passed against the overlord of the Ashanti Kingdom, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, used some strong words against chiefs of the council.

He told the chief to focus on the many problems in their region and leave the regional chairman alone.

“The chiefs who are dragging Chairman Wontumi, what has he done to you? Have you finished solving your problems?

“... The Otumfuo is now tired of complaining about your behaviour. Some of the Asanteman chiefs are thieves – you sell the same land to more than one person. You steal people's money; you have sex with people's girlfriends, you sleep with their wives," he said in Twi.

He added, “Are you done correcting all the crimes your committee in the Ashanti Region including galamsey (illegal small-scale mining) for you to come talk about Chairman Wontumi”.

Watch videos of the remarks made by JFK and Ampaw below:

The Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) at an emergency meeting Chaired by Bantamahene Baffour Owusu Amankwatia IV, has ordered the New Patriotic Party (NPP) General secretary to produce its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Wontumi in the next… pic.twitter.com/PH7yOBrBLI

— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) January 22, 2024

Nananom at the Manhyia Palace in the Ashanti Region has banned @NPP_GH from embarking on any form of Political Campaign and to lower the flag of @NPP_GH in the Ashanti Region until Chairman Wontumi appears before them pic.twitter.com/Bv3Z7ioCPV

— Kyei Meshack (@KyeiMeshack) January 23, 2024