By Edward Williams, GNA
Akpafu Odomi (O/R), Dec. 19, GNA - The chiefs and people of Akpafu and the Lolobi traditional areas have distanced themselves from the bid for the siting of the district capital of the proposed Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi (SALL) District in the Oti region at Santrokofi-Gbogame.
"We, Nana Tetteh-Attu IV, and Nana Akoto Masakye III as leaders of Akpafu and Lolobi Traditional Areas respectively, want to emphasise that no meeting ever took place, let alone agreeing to site the so-call district capital at Santrokofi Gbodome."
Nana Tetteh-Attu IV, Adontenhene of Akpafu Traditional Area addressing the media at a News conference held at Akpafu Odomi said if Likpe and Santrokofi petitioned to join the Oti region, the Akpafu and Lolobi communities were independent and could not under any obligation kowtow to demands of forcefully joining the region.
He described the representation of Bosate Afrifa Akuamoah IV as the Paramount Chief of Akpafu Traditional area on the bid for the SALL District capital as unlawful and illegal since the Ho High Court in June 2019 found him guilty of contempt of court for holding himself as the leader of the traditional area.
The Adontehene said the pivotal roles the Akpafu and Lolobi areas played in the creation of the then Hohoe District and other socio-economic and cultural advantages were reasons the traditional areas never petitioned government to join the Oti region.
He called on leading members of "SALL for Oti Movement" to stop the manipulations and subversive activities of inviting illegitimate and unauthorised divisional chiefs to such gatherings at the blind side of "Kade" and the Paramountcy of Akpafu and Lolobi.
"We are by this conference and by extension advising other chiefs from neighbouring traditional areas to desist from these unhealthy practices that may compromise the peaceful co-existence of our communities." he added
Nana Tetteh-Attu said the use of Article 5 (2) in creating the new regions meant that the chiefs and people petitioned to join, but the Lolobi and Akpafu Traditional Areas did not petition the President neither did they authorise any individual, group or organisation to petition on their behalf hence could not be added to any existing District/Constituency in the Oti Region.
He said in the creation of Districts, Municipalities and Metropolis due regard must be paid to constituency boundaries adding that "failure to pay such regard and Parliament's inability to suspend, repeal or amend Legislative Instrument (LI) 2151 that created the Municipality have given rise to the situation we have now in the Hohoe Municipality and Constituency."
"The Paramountcy of Lolobi and Akpafu wish to state unequivocally that the attempt by Electoral Commission, through the Constitutional Instrument (CI) laid in Parliament to demarcate new electoral boundaries, is not only unconstitutional, but an abuse of power.
"Fact still remains that there is no district in Ghana known as SALL within which the EC can exercise the function conferred on it under articles 47 as well as 51 and 52 of the Constitution of 1992. We want to stress again that the duty conferred on EC under article 47 of the Constitution of Ghana does not include what the EC is seeking to do by laying a CI in Parliament."
Nana Tetteh-Attu said the act of EC seeking to create new districts through the vehicle of the CI laid in Parliament was in breach of article 241(2) of the 1992 Constitution, and sections 1(2) and 3(1) of the Local Government Act, 2016 (Act 936) which were reasons why the two traditional areas were in the Supreme and Appeals Court.
"The Executive and the Legislature are in breach of several Articles of the Law and have violated and abused the civil, human and constitutional rights of Akpafu and Lolobi citizens." he said
Nana Tetteh-Attu said the boycott of the 27th December 2018 Referendum by the over 89 per cent of Akpafu and Lolobi citizenry, proved that there was no substantial demand for the padding of Akpafu and Lolobi to Oti.
He said despite the turnout, "government and its agents" went ahead to "forcefully remove" the two traditional areas from the Hohoe Municipality alleging that strenuous attempts were currently on-going to pad the two traditional areas to the Jasikan District in Oti Region against the sovereign will of those affected.
He said the traditional areas took to reverse their unconstitutional padding to Oti by writing to Parliament protesting against the CI that EC laid in Parliament in June/July 2019 and challenging the Justice Brobbey Commission Report at the Appeals Court.
Nana Frititi I, a Divisional Chief of Lolobi who represented the Paramount Chief of the Lolobi Traditional area said the two traditional areas had no ill motive against government and any institutions, but were only making sure that the right thing was done.
GNA
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