News:
Ketu South, Abla Dzifa Gomashie
October 29, 2021
Members of Parliament from the Volta Region have called on President Akufo-Addo to render an unqualified apology and retract his unsavory comments made against Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V, President of Aflao Traditional Area for asking for the completion of E-Block.
President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo during an interview on Peace FM last week when asked about the demand of the chief of Aflao questioned if the chief has the power to give such an ultimatum to the minister, and added that if the chief is frustrated by the delay, he (the chief) could go and complete the project.
But addressing the media in parliament, the Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Abla Dzifa Gomashie flanked by her colleague MPs from the region noted that the paramount chief of Aflao only made a legitimate call concerning the practice where new governments turn to abandon projects they inherit from their predecessors.
She said the tax-payers’ money had already been sunk into the project and it was just appropriate that it is completed and opened for the people from the area to also benefit from it.
They described the president’s response to the demand made by the paramount chief of Aflao as an affront to the chieftaincy institution, the chief and the people of the area.
Adding his voice to the call, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who was the deputy Minister of Education in the erstwhile John Mahama administration under whose tenure the project was initiated said under the E-block project, chiefs across the country gave out lands free of charge to facilitate the implementation, hence the call by the Aflao Chief was on point, especially when the contractual period of completion was 18months from the time it was started. so if five (5) year’s down the line the chief doesn’t see the political will to complete the project, there was nothing wrong averting the minds of the government to complete it, he added.
He said chiefs remain partners in development and would continue to push for developments projects from all governments to better the lives of their people.
He said what is most unfortunate was the fact that Torgbui Fiti V was not the first to have raised issues with uncompleted projects in their area, adding that prior to getting to Aflao, other chiefs including the chief of Yilo Krobo whose demanded the operationalization of the E-block in his area, while others from Kumawu, Abetifi among others made similar calls but none of them received such disrespectful response as extended to the chief of Aflao.
Meanwhile, Madam Gomashie hinted of launching an appeal for fund to raise money to complete the E-block as directed by the president, and urged all citizens of the area and well-meaning Ghanaians to donate to the fund to help complete the project.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com