THE PARAMOUNT Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area in the Hohoe municipality, Togbega Gabasu, has described as unfortunate the assertion by a group of chiefs in the area that he should have consulted them before raising concerns about the sluggish pace of development in the Volta Region.
It will be recalled that nine chiefs in the Hohoe Municipality, in a press statement last Friday, distanced themselves from the concerns raised by Togbega Gabusu against the government over the snail pace of development in the Volta Region.
The statement was read by Togbe Tsedze Atakora VII, paramount chief of the Alavanyo Traditional Area. According to them, the utterances of Togbega Gabusu did not represent their views since they were not consulted before such utterances were made. They said no traditional area in Hohoe dominated another; therefore, Togbega Gabusus statements and utterances should not be misconstrued as the views of all chiefs in the municipality and the Volta Region.
They said they were content with the level of development in the municipality and region and that it is not fair for anybody, irrespective of the massive infrastructural development going on across the length and breadth of the Volta Region, to hide behind the issue of the Eastern Corridor and the Volta University projects, to unnecessarily chastise the performing Atta Mills government.
The other chiefs included Togbe Delume V of Ve, Togbe Agboka VI of Leklebi, Togbe Homatekpor of Gbledi and Nana Otiti Aku III of Santrokofi and Togbe Adza Adiaku V of Logba Alakpeti.
When contacted for his reaction, Togbega Gabusu noted that the chiefs argument was out of place because he did not speak for them but expressed a personal opinion which coincidentally was the opinion of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs (VRHC), of which he is the immediate past president.
He said the chiefs also contradicted themselves because if they claimed no chief dominated the other, then he did not need their permission before making his views known to the public.
I am not responsible for any of them (chiefs) neither are they responsible for me so why do I need their permission? he asked. He found the chiefs statements irrelevant because their views did not reflect that of the VRHCs.
Togbega Gabusu added that apart from Togbe Delume of Ve, who is a member of the VRHC, the rest were not members of the house and so might not know what was happening on the ground.
Perhaps, They are the only strangers in the region because all over the region, people are not happy with the level of developments in the region, he said.
He could not fathom why Togbe Delume of Ve Traditional area, who was his vice president during his tenure as the president, and a member of the house, was involved and could not advise the chiefs on their statement. He questioned why they singled him out and not the VRHC which also raised similar concerns in its last general meeting.
He also wondered why out of the 20 communities in the Hohoe municipality, only nine had taken this stance. Togbega Gabusu added that his views were objective and not to malign the government or anyone.
He noted, I want to state categorically that I will be the last person to undermine this government or any other government, but as a chief, I have to cooperate with the government of the day to ensure that development comes to my people. That does not mean I have to keep quiet when things are going wrong.
Togbega therefore noted that he would forward the case to his elders and the VRHC and later react appropriately.
Source: Fred Duodu, Ho
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