The decision by the President of the National House of Chiefs (NHC), Togbe Afede XIV and Vice President Daasebre Nana Kwebu Ewusi VII to issue a statement on behalf of the 50 members of the house has been described as an "abuse of administrative procedures".
According to the Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, also the Chairman of the Governance Committee of the NHC, there has not been any discussion yet as a house on taking a stance on the December 17 referendum.
“I am a member of the planning committee and the chairman of the governance committee and also a member of the National House Chiefs and we have not discussed this issue. Even if there has been a letter stating the position of the NHC on the referendum, it is still against normal administrative procedures”, he stated.
Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II explained that the normal and acceptable practice of the house is to allow the secretariat to issue the statement, stating the position of the house and not the President and his Vice issuing a statement not coming from the secretariat.
“Meanwhile, our registrar or secretariat was not involved. It is against even administrative procedures that I, as a Regional President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, will sit down with my Vice to write a letter, stating our position of the referendum”, he reiterated
He stressed that “as for me, I will not lie but speak the truth always and that is to say that administratively, it is wrong for the President and his Vice to write such a letter expressing their position on December 17 polls”.
He pointed out that the National House of Chiefs (NHC) does not practice executive presidency; indicating that whoever is chosen as a leader is strictly from among equals.
“National House of Chiefs doesn’t practice executive presidency. Whoever is our leader is strictly from among equals and so whatever we all meet and discuss is what we put out. Granting that at a certain stage some of the chiefs said that, when two political parties take a stance, the paramount chiefs must isolate ourselves from party partisan politics”, he said.
He, however, wondered why it took the President and his Vice a long time after the NPP and the NDC have both taken their stance on the referendum to issue a statement, declaring the stance of the National House of Chiefs (NHC).
“NPP is campaigning for Yes and the NDC is campaigning for No and if our decision is for No. Why did we wait for the NDC to say No before our President and the Vice said theirs in public? What were they doing? It is not true; we have not met anywhere to discuss this”.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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Thanks my brother ' No need' .It can also be be than this way first for election of MMDCEs and the second to allow politician to take part. It seems we are been 'force' to vote yes because it is a good idea by this government has come up.We all know how politics is destroying this country gradually though we lead by them .Nationality is what should drive to .Again we know politics is entering into everything in this country and that is bad eg employing people for jobs ,selecting people for competition for Ghana etc and though this we throw away good once. Politics dividing us.
IT IS INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO COMMUNICATORS OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES ON THE REFERENDUM. MANY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE REALITY AND THE SIGNIFICANCE FOR YES AND NO VOTES. SOME AS THEY ADVOCATE FOR YES VOTE ARGUE TO DEFEND NO VOTES AND VICE VERSA. MANY MAY JUST DECIDE OT ALIGN WITH YES OR NO BECAUSE IT HAS NOW BECOME NDC AND NPP POLITICAL MATTER. IT WILL BE DISINGENUOUS OF EC AND NPP GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE WITH THE REFERENDUM. THE INCONSISTENCY OF NDC AND THE SHIFT OF THE DECISION OFFER THE EC AND NPP THE OPTION TO STOP THE REFERENDUM. THE DECISION TO STOP THE REFERENDUM CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE BETRAYAL OF NDC. WE CAN THEN CONCENTRATE ON WHAT WE ALL AGREE TO PROCEED TO APPROVE THE MOTION TO ELECT THE MMDCES AT THIS STAGE. ONE STEP AT A TIME. ONCE GHANAIANS GET OVER THE ELECTION OF MMDCES WE CAN LATER CONSIDER THE PARTISAN ELECTION OF THE ENTIRE DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES IF IN THE FUTURE WE FIND IT NECESSARY. AS AT NOW MANY GHANAIANS ARE NOT ENTHUSED WITH THE IDEA, SINCE THE POLITICAL PARTIES SECRETLY SUPPORT SOME CANDIDATES TO PURSUE THEIR PARTISAN AGENDA. BESIDES, THE CONFUSION BY THE PARTIES TO EDUCATE THE POPULACE HAS WORSENED ANY CHANCE TO ENDORSE THIS DECEMBER ELECTION BY OBTAINING 75% OF THE VOTING AS REQUIRED BY CONSTITUTION.
Tell Togbe Afede that house of chiefs is not Hearts of oaks.
How low can Ghana fall...even our chiefs are now meddling in politics. This means we should expect ours chiefs to also start lying and spew gabbbagge!
This is what a vote for yes will do........ Even if the leader made a mistake, should you a chief who is thought of being "wise" come out publicly and disown your leader? This exactly what will happen when the local governance becomes partisan. Chiefs will have to take or declare their stand to have developments. Come to think of it, can a known NPP/NDC sympathizer walk into political assmbly or unit committee member with any suggestion or complaint and would be accepted whole-heartedly? Let us consider this carefully placing our political lenses aside ooooo, yoo!!!
Togbe Afede is an NDC card bearing member period. He was made the Board Chairman of NIB and could not perform. he waited for NDC to state its position before clandestinely coming out with his personal position on the referendum. Now look at the disgrace we face as traditional people.
This is just a small chief from some part of Ho trying to show that he has power to show the president. Before the referendum on the six new regions last year, Togbe Afede vehemently spoke against the creation of the Oti Region, after having met the Presidential Commission on four occasions and had never voiced any descent against the creation. He was embarrassingly flopped in the outcome of the vote and Oti was thus created. Togbe was the Board Chairman of NIB since JM's presidency and he was maintained when Nana Addo took power. Later it came out the he had supervised a massive rot and very damaging withdrawals at NIB leading to heavy losses of the bank for JM's campaign, leading to the appointment of Mr. Felix Addo as adviser to the bank. Togbe Afede again was humiliated and he was compelled to jump out of office. This is why he has decided to embarrass the president. Why did Togbe wait to declare the position of the National House of Chiefs for a NO vote when he knew that the House had not discussed the topic and arrived at a position on it? Nana Dr. Susubribi Krobea Asante, the Chairman of the Legal Committee has come out to prove that his committee never recommended the NO position. Nana Ogyeahohoor Gyebi, Omanhene of Baabiani Anweaso and Chairman of the Constituional commettee of the House, Nana Kabrese, Omanhene of Yaji, as well as Nana Osagyefoor Omoatia Ofori Pani, President of Eastern Region HOC have all come to prove that Togbe is only using his position as president to play dirty politics. Why did Togbe wait for NDC to declare their NO position before he jointly declared the same position?
Okyehene is bitter for losing to Togbe Afede as the Natl Hse of chiefs president. He is backed by Ogyehogo Nana Gyebi who handed over GHC1.5ml to him to celebrate his 20th anniversary. Greedy people. Did your criminal president and his first cousin Ken Ofori Atta resign upon their numerous criminal engagements they have taken Ghana through?
My research and my understanding of this voting exercise is that it will solve the problem of all inclusive government. So Yes is the best than the situation where a particular government will choose DCEs for us. Yes is the best
i only blame this ayigbe chief, tobge afede for his divisive leadership. the ewes are known to be very bad leaders due to their inward looking attitudes. it is a leadership failure of togbe afede that has brought the national house of chiefs to this level.