The President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, has dismissed allegations that he is in bed with the ruling government because he gets contracts and favours from the NDC administration.
He noted that the fact that he was an entrepreneur and a financial expert who rendered his expertise to the government in certain areas did not make him a yes man or a puppet for the government or any other government that takes up the realm of power in the country.
He said, �I am only working for my people and that the service I render to government, I render it as a patriotic citizen and an exemplary leader who is serving the people and not government nor my personal gains.�
He mentioned that he had had no personal gains from the government and that for someone or people to think that �I am having my bread buttered in exchange of my independence and sovereignty is preposterous and an insult to my stool, mandate and people�.
He added that �I have not been given any contract, neither have I made a penny from the government�.
�I know what am about and will not sell that for anything,� he stressed.
Togbe Afede XIV, who is also the Agbogbomefai of the Asogli State of Ho, made the statement at the second annual general meeting of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs held in Ho last Wednesday.
Togbe President said by virtue of being a chief, he was not supposed to meddle in politics but that did not bar him from engaging in his private business and initiates. He said he also had a mandate as the President of the Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Ho-Asogli State to complain, suggest and criticize the government when necessary.
These, he said, he had done on many occasions.
Togbe Afede cited that when President John Mills paid a courtesy call on Asogli chiefs, as always, he reminded the President of the concerns of the chiefs and people in the region.
Among some of the concerns raised were the Ho township roads and commencement of work on the state-funded university for the region.
Togbe Afede complained about the delays on road projects in the region such as the eastern corridor roads, the Aflao dual carriage roads, Ho-Sogakofe roads, Ho-Nyive-Shia-Klave roads and many others.
He appealed for extension of water supply to rural areas in the region and the quick compensation for lands acquired by the state.
He assured the chiefs and people of the region that he was committed to the region�s development and would do everything he could to make sure that dream was achieved.
He bemoaned the lackadaisical attitudes of some chiefs who, for some unwarranted reasons, had dissociated themselves from their traditional councils, urging them to desist from such acts.
He said, �When you attend council meetings, you are not surrendering your sovereignty or your conscience but rather sharing ideas in developing your traditional area and chieftaincy institution which is currently facing some turbulent times.�
He therefore called for unity among the chiefs of the region to accelerate development of the region.
He also urged the various paramountcies and traditional councils to fill all vacancies in their jurisdictions to avert unnecessary disputes and give the people the needed leadership and development they deserved.
Apart from being a traditional leader, Togbe Afede, XIV has among other things been a director of Bank of Ghana even when the NPP was in power. He serves as a Director of National Theatre of Ghana, Accra Hearts of Oak FC Ltd., SAS Investment Management Ltd and Strategic Initiatives Ltd.
He has been a director of Aluworks Ltd. since February 2002. He is currently a member of the President�s Economic Advisory Council.
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