Chiefs from Ekumfi Traditional Area, led by their Omanhen, Odeɛfo Akyin VIII, have described as highly unfortunate and regrettable, a deliberate attempt by President Nana Addo to deny the people of Ekumfi development.
In a recent public reaction, President Akufo Addo explained that he had denied the people of Ekumfi development because they voted out former (New Patriotic Party) Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Kingsley Ato Cudjoe, during the last general elections
The president stated this when a family queen mother and the head of the late Professor Atta Mills’ family paid a courtesy call on him and pleaded with him to assist the family to secure the autopsy report of the late president of Ghana, John Evans Atta-Mills
Response by Nananom
Addressing a press conference on Monday, this week, to respond to the president’s decision, Odeɛfo stated that the people of Ekumfi were extremely shocked by those statements and struggle to believe same.
He said, “We particularly did not believe that the President who is mandated by the Constitution to be responsible for the development of the country could politically segregate the country and treat others with disdain and dislike”
He added, “Per our understanding of the very Constitution which recognises free and fair elections, one of which made His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufu-Addo the President, there is no provision in the 1992 Constitution which mandates the President to decide who the people of Ekumfi or for that matter any other constituency must elect to represent them in Parliament as their legislator”.
Request for scientific data
The chiefs confirmed that all developmental initiatives in the district have stalled and attributed it to the decision of the president to starve them of development, simply because Mr Ato Cudjoe lost during the 2020 elections.
Odeɛfo Akyin, therefore, demanded a scientific and accurate data on how the former MP performed when he was elected as the people’s representative, to illustrate the fact that he should have been maintained by the constituents.
“Our call comes on the heels of the fact that the same Honourable Ato Cudjoe, who is preferred by the President and whose exit from Parliament has become the reason the President has neglected Ekumfi, has once again lost miserably in the NPP’s internal party primaries.
…..If the President’s own party folks could reject Honourable Ato Cudjoe, why must the Chiefs and people of Ekumfi suffer for his exit in 2020?” he quizzed
Odeɛfo and his chiefs noted that the statement made by the President sought to question the people’s democratic “right to vote freely”, adding that the tenets of democracy included the ability of the people to freely elect who they deemed fit to be their representative in Parliament.
According to Odeɛfo, the people of Ekumfi only exercised their democratic right during the last election and this right must never be used as a tool for punishment by the very President who is enjoined by the 1992 Constitution and his own Oath of Office to uphold the Constitution of the country.
Appeal to natives of Ekumfi
On behalf of the Nananom, Odeɛfo Akyin appealed to all natives of Ekumfi, both home and abroad, who have raised various valid concerns about the unfortunate statement by the president to remain calm, not matter the level of pain it has caused them.
He added that Nananom could not have responded in equal measure because though the president’s statement has denigrated them, Nana Addo is still the president of the republic, who must be accorded a high level of respect.
“We, therefore, wish to draw the President’s attention to the unfortunate statements, asking him to revisit his notes and ensure that all stalled developmental initiatives in Ekumfi start in earnest, so we could assume that the President regrets making those displeasing statements,” he stated.
Ekumfi Chiefs have not demanded an autopsy report
Odeɛfo Akyin explained that the chiefs of Ekumfi have not sent anybody or group of persons to the presidency to demand an autopsy report of the late president on their behalf or on behalf the late president’s family.
“To set the records straight, the Paramount Chief Odeefo Akyin VIII has not elected nor delegated anybody or any group of persons to His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo or any other institution to demand an Autopsy of the late Professor Mills for us, or on behalf of the family.
“We, therefore, want to state emphatically that any attempt to link the Chiefs of Ekumfi to any such action is malicious, untrue and mischievous and must be treated with the contempt it deserves.
“Ekumfi Nananom, led by the Paramount Chief Odeefo Akyin VIII, also wishes to send a strong signal to anyone or group of persons purported to come from Ekumfi or elsewhere, and who allow themselves to be used to perpetuate such disgraceful and malicious act may have to prepare to face the wrath of Nananom”.
