President Akufo-Addo has responded to the controversy and misconception surrounding a confidential meeting he held with some Chiefs in the Volta Region, including the President of the National House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV.
Togbe Afede of Ho Asogli speaking at his Palace on Sunday, August 16, 2020 during a meeting with some Chiefs in the region and Voltarians from the Banda area in the Bono Region alleged that some political leaders from the Volta region had lied, insulted and embarrassed Chiefs in the region during a meeting with the President on Friday, August 14, 2020.
The eminent Chief also found it “embarrassing” and “insulting” to be reminded of the fact that there are Ewes who live in Togo and Benin who were not Ghanaians.
He said “We know all these. We know Togolese are not entitled to vote in Ghana. We know that Ewes live in Togo and Benin who are not Ghanaians, so to be reminded about this basic fact was very insulting and very embarrassing.”
Despite several complains of the mobilisation of foreigners to partake in Ghana’s electoral process including arrests and prosecution of such persons, the eminent Chief noted, it was “Shocking to hear that Togolese were historically brought in to the Volta region three weeks ahead of registration and voting, where will they reside and who will take care of them for three weeks just to exercise one vote.”
Togbe Afede also accused the Volta Regional Minister and Energy Minister for suggesting that the Chiefs in the region were working for the opposition National Democratic Congress.
However, responding to the issues in Anloga last Thursday, President Akufo-Addo confirmed there was such a meeting, but noted that “We had frank and mutually respectful discussions.”
The discussions which bordered on allegations of military intimidation along border communities in the Volta region and other development issues ended with a proposal to set-up a committee “comprising members from both sides to interrogate further the matter that had been brought so, we can have a satisfactory resolution.”
However, while he “waited to get the names of the three nominees from the eminent chiefs, some members of the delegation started making public statements of what they said had taken place at the meeting.”
That notwithstanding, “I am going to go ahead if the Chiefs are still prepared to submit their three nominees as was agreed to constitute this committee, to resolve quickly all the issues to reassure everybody,” the President assured.
This explanation from the President seems to have been corroborated by the Ho West NDC MP, Emmanuel Korsi Bedzra who during a radio interview last week said one of the Chiefs who was at the meeting confirmed same to him.
The Paramount Chief of Aflao, Torgbui Amenya Fiti who was also in both meetings is reported to have said at the meeting in Togbe Afede’s Palace that “The President in his own knowledge said he is going to constitute a committee to go into the happenings in the country.”
“We the chiefs are solidly behind the president’s action he is going to take,” he added. More so, he (the President) gave them his word despite suggestions by some government appointees that chiefs from the Volta Region were doing the bidding of the opposition NDC.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)