I have read the editorial in the April 27, 2011 issue of The Chronicle, and would like to clarify the following:<\/p>\n
Visit to the President<\/strong><\/p>\nFirst, the purpose of the Volta chiefs\u2019 April 21, 2011 meeting with President Mills had nothing to do with \u2018the declared intention of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings to contest the sitting President for the right to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2012 presidential election\u2019 as presented in the editorial.<\/p>\n
The Volta Region House of Chiefs (VRHC) has, in a rejoinder to a Graphic story on the visit, already denounced the earlier misrepresentation of the intended purpose of the visit by a radio station, Joy FM, the day before the meeting. Quoting so-called deep throat sources, Joy FM reported, among others, that \u2018the meeting is in connection with what is becoming an acrimonious flagbearership contest between President Mills and Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings\u2019 and that \u2018the chiefs are not in support of Nana Konadu\u2019s intended presidential bid and wanted the opportunity to speak to Mr. Rawlings about it\u2019.<\/p>\n
These allegations of Joy FM were also quoted by the National Women\u2019s Organizer of the NPP during a Metro TV Good Morning Ghana newspaper review programme as matters of fact.<\/p>\n
In its rejoinder to the Graphic story, the VRHC expressed regret that the same \u2018deep throat sources\u2019 failed to brief Joy FM about the frank discussions that actually took place, especially during the closed-door meeting with the President.<\/p>\n
The purpose of our visit to the President was three-fold:<\/p>\n
\n- To congratulate the President for his assumption of the highest office in the land, this being our very first visit<\/li>\n
- To thank him for specific development projects being undertaken by the government in the Volta Region, and<\/li>\n
- To express certain concerns and make certain specific appeals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Membership of the Bank of Ghana Board<\/strong><\/p>\nI would like to point out clearly that my appointment to the Board of Bank of Ghana by former President Kufuor in July 2003 was not a special political favour.<\/p>\n
It was in recognition of my ability to contribute to the work of the Bank, after I had raised publicly, important issues about the interpretation of inflation figures and their effect on the Bank\u2019s policy rate.<\/p>\n
In answer to other related comments that have been made by some mischievous people over the past two years or so, I am very proud to point out clearly that I did not make one cedi more than the token monthly fees and sitting allowances I earned as a member of the Bank\u2019s board.<\/p>\n
Also, I did not have, let alone enjoy, any business or friendly relationship with Former President Kufuor.<\/p>\n
Sunon Asogli Power Plant<\/strong><\/p>\nI would also like to point out that I was not \u2018assisted tremendously\u2019 by the Kufuor administration in my \u2018effort to establish the Asogli Power Plant\u2019.<\/p>\n
On the contrary, I suffered a lot of frustration which saw me appealing, at various times, to personalities like Dr. Wereko-Brobby, Mr. Kwame Pianim, Hon J. H. Mensah, His Excellency Professor Adjei-Bekoe, General Joshua Hamidu, Dr. Amoako-Tuffuor and the Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle, for their intervention.
Many Ghanaians will recall how Government-owned VALCO\u2019s officials, under the leadership of Dr. Charles Mensa, drove Sunon Asogli from the original site of the plant.<\/p>\n
This matter is still being contested in court by the Kpone Traditional Council, from whom Sunon Asogli had acquired the land. I was fully aware, prior to the VALCO action, that a friend of the former President had written to Kpone Traditional Council expressing interest in the same land in the name of Africa Power Ltd.<\/p>\n
It is important to point out that VALCO drove Sunon Asogli from that land, which is part of a huge tract of land, and built a wall around it, at a time they were not in production because of a power crisis.<\/p>\n
VALCO is back in operation now, thanks in part to the commencement of power production by Sunon Asogli.<\/p>\n
Treatment of Voltarians<\/strong><\/p>\nI did say during President Mills\u2019 visit to Ho in April 2009, that under the Kufuor administration, Voltarians \u2018were made to feel like outsiders\u2019. I have been reported variously to have said Voltarians were treated like \u2018strangers\u2019, \u2018orphans\u2019, etc. These words do not mean the same thing.<\/p>\n
The important thing however was that I only voiced out how the average Voltarian felt during the period in question.<\/p>\n
Among other issues, there were cases of people who felt the need to conceal their tribal identities when bidding for government contracts.<\/p>\n
It is not necessary to go into any further details. I am glad that on Tuesday, March 22, Hon. Albert Kan-Dapaah, Member of Parliament for Afigya Sekyere West, in his contribution to a motion in parliament, came out boldly to admit that over the years, acrimony between Akans and Ewes had been swept under the carpet.<\/p>\n
He was quoted further as having said that the dangerous mistrust between the two major ethnic groups in Ghana must be tackled to ensure harmony and tranquility in the country.
He called for \u2018courage to confront this problem\u2019, according to the Ghana News Agency report.<\/p>\n
I would ask that objective-minded Ghanaians analyse my comment against the reality as presented by Hon. Kan-Dapaah. We should not continue to pretend not to know.<\/p>\n
Political Motives<\/strong><\/p>\nI have no doubt in my mind that a lot of the concocted stories and misrepresentations are fuelled by people with political motives, especially those who are still angry with my intervention against the closure of the Volta-Togo border during the last general elections.
I wish to state clearly that my reaction to the border closure was not a partisan political matter. I acted in the interest of national peace and harmony.<\/p>\n
I want to emphasize that, as the traditional leader of my people, I have accepted the responsibility to serve their best interests.<\/p>\n
It is therefore my sacred duty to defend them when their interests are jeopardized by ill-advised government actions.<\/p>\n
I want to assure all and sundry that I will not shirk this responsibility, no matter which party is in power, because evil is evil, no matter who the perpetrators are.<\/p>\n
Signed: Togbe Afede XIV; Parmount Chief of the Asogli (Traditonal Area & President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs)<\/p>\n
Source: The Ghanaian Chronicle\/Ghana<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Read the original here:
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