National House of Chiefs Have Not Met On Dec. 17 Referendum - Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II

The Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, Chairman of the Governance Committee of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II has described as worrisome the decision taken by the President and the Vice President of National House of Chiefs (NHC).

A statement issued by the National House of Chiefs (NHC), calling for a ‘No’ vote in the upcoming referendum on local government elections, has stirred controversy in the house.

At the centre of the disagreement are the President of the house, Togbe Afede XIV, and his Vice, Daasebre Nana Kwebu Ewusi VII, on the one side, and the Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, who is also the Chairman of the Governance Committee of the NHC, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, and the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, on the other.

Last Thursday, Togbe Afede and his vice jointly signed a statement indicating that the house was against the proposed referendum to allow partisan politics in local elections and, therefore, called on Ghanaians to vote ‘No’ at the polls.

But commenting on the signed statement by Togbe Afede XIV and Daasebre Nana Kwebu Ewusi VII on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II said the statement of the President and his Vice does not represent the position of the National House of Chiefs as there has not been any deliberation on the issue.

"I cannot tell the position of the National House of Chiefs (NHC) on the December 17 Referendum but I can only express my position . . . it is painful that the National House of Chiefs, comprising 50 paramount chiefs who represent a lot of Traditional Areas and Divisional Chiefs and we have not met to decide to vote 'No' on the upcoming referendum but the President and the Vice have written a letter saying we have agreed on 'No'; this is very worrisome for me,” he bemoaned.

Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II revealed that before the statement was signed by the President and his Vice, the National House of Chiefs (NHC) had fixed December 12, 2019, to finalize on the referendum.

“What I want to emphasize clearly is that the National House of Chiefs have never met anywhere to decide that people should vote 'No' during the December 17 referendum, and so that is not the position of the NHC. I can say this anywhere that we have not met anywhere to take such a decision,” he emphasized.