The Chief of Kete, Major Abu Safiano Baba (rtd), has said that people of Oti enclave in the Volta Region do not owe any allegiance to any chief in the southern part of the region.
He explained that the people of Kete respect Togbe Afede and his position as the president of the National House of Chiefs, but the position does not make them subservient to any chief in the south.
“They know very well that no single chief in the Oti enclave owes allegiance to any other chief in the south of the Volta Region,” he declared.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, he noted that the creation of a new region should not create enmity among the people of the Volta Region.
“The creation of regions is for administrative purposes and has nothing to do with traditional boundaries”, he stated.
Furthermore, he indicated that pronouncements such as the creation of new regions would lead to chaos and tribal conflicts did not auger well for the peace and unity of the country.
He therefore urged sincere Ghanaians who have issues with the process to seek legal redress even though he believed there was nothing illegal or unconstitutional about the process as the government had followed due processes so far.
“He who claims to raise legal issues must be able to tell us his legal basis. The creation or alteration and merger of regions are guided by elaborate provisions of Article 5 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic” he said.
He also made mention of some developmental disparities between the southern Volta and Oti enclave to include Southern Volta that has 79 senior high schools, while Oti enclave has 17.
The Southern Volta, he added, is known to have 480 km of tarred road, 15 midwifery colleges and 39 government clinics, while the Oti enclave has 105 km tarred roads, one midwifery college and no government clinic.
Major Baba also waded into the political sentiments debate by saying that both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had campaigned on creating new regions prior to the 2016 election.
“So where is the evidence that this is an NPP agenda?” he queried.
“They pretend to be unaware of the fact that people within the Oti enclave had by themselves sent countless petitions to the president, thereby triggering the constitutional processes of Article 5,” he added.
He cited names of some prominent people from Southern Volta who have made derogatory statements about the creation of the new region.
“Rev. S.S. Agidi, the Moderator of the E.P church, has openly declared his opposition for the creation of the proposed Oti Region, describing the move as a recipe for chaos and tribal conflicts. Also, Goviafe Chief has been heard to have said that the Ashantis were behind the Oti agenda,” he said.
According to him, the anti-Oti agenda pushers are now blaming the NPP government for advancing their political motive through creation of new regions.
He posited that if indeed the creation was along an ethnic line, there would not be support from prominent ewes such as former Minister of State for Tertiary Education, Elizabeth Ohene, and the ewe community in Oti enclave who held a press conference at Dambai on November 8 to support the creation of the region.
The chief has for that matter called on civil society organisations and governmental bodies such as the Christian Council, National Peace Council and the Council of State to call to order, groups and individuals that are stoking tribal sentiments amidst the creation of new regions.
“They should remember that the world suffers not because of the violence of bad people but because of the silence of good people,” he said.
Source: Daily Guide
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Ever since Nana Addo came to power we have wasted too much money on that ministry that is responsible for the new regions. That money can do a lot. Why don't we use that money to improve the infrastructure for these deprived communities? Massa Chief! Even if the so called regions are created for you your own people will never benefit. Ask them to use the money to build hospital, schools, roads, police station with staff houses. Affordable housing units. Water treatment facility. When the new region comes they will impose more taxes on your peopleooo!
It seems anytime we go in for loan the next thing is to find a way to waste it on Krazy things like creating new regions even if it can lead to a civil war. New regions means new land cruisers, new air conditioners, new local government, new pressure on the money we say we don't have.
Wow, wish I could meet this chief,thank God we still have some king Solomons around, very intelligent and a wise man ,
THE EMINENT CHIEF HAS WHITEWASHED THE DUBIOUS AND SINISTER AGENDA OF TOGBE AFEDE AND SOME OF HIS INWARD-LOOKING BUNCH WHO ARE FOLLOWING HIM BLINDLY. IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR ANY RIGHT THINKING VOLTARIAN TO OPPOSE THIS CONSTITUTIONALLY CHARTERED PATH TO THE CREATION OF THE OTI REGION. NANA ADDO AND NPP ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT OTHER ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE NOT PLANNED DOING! THE INWARD-LOOKING SOUTHERN VOLTA AGITATORS AND CHEATERS MONOPOLY IN THE VOLTA REGION IS ENDING AND NOTHING CAN STOP IT, PERIOD!THERE IS NOTHING DIABOLICAL ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT ANYONE WHO IS BENT ON CAUSING MISCHIEF SHOULD THINK TWICE. THE REST OF GHANA WON'T SIT IDLE FOR THESE SELFISH INWARD-LOOKING EWE NATIONALISTS TO DICTATE TO OUR LEGITIMATELY ELECTED PRESIDENT AND HIS ADMINISTRATION FROM CARRYING OUT THE WISHES OF THE MAJORITY OF THE ELECTORATE. GOD BLESS NANA ADDO AND GHANA.
You better hold allegiance God rather than man. You soon die and there you see that you are nobody.
I don't blame the oti people I blame the southern volta people because they have seriously marginalized the oti enclave people, hmmmm this my people when you go to northern volta you would cry for this people we should have seen them as our brothers and therefore spread development to that part of the region, but......
This Press Statement of Major Baaba, the chief of Kete Krachi about the Oti Region is the best presentation so far. I cannot understand why no other tribes in other regions of Ghana are not making any fuss about the creation of new regions but the Volta Tribes and chiefs. Every parent wants their child to grow into independence and self autonomy and not to dominate their lives. The attitude of some people in Volta Region, Togbe Afedzi gives credence to why Trokosi strives in only that Region of Ghana. Trokosi is primitive custom that promote slavery in the Traditional set up without challenge.it is suppression of peoples liberty and dignity. It is practice by people who cannot think right about the good and well-being of others but to dominate to exploit them. This attitude can only be break down by isolation. The creation of new region as Oti or whatever is very much needed than any other in Ghana.
Don't allow the politicians to spoil your beautiful coexistence. Dividing it is the right thing to do
Thanks Nana. You have spoken well. god bless you.
Very well said, wise chief