Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea, strongly believes the ruling party; the National Democratic Congress (NDC), had a hand in the decision taken by some Chiefs drawn from the Aflao Traditional Area not to allow this year�s June 4 celebrations to be held in the area.
According to him, it is obvious that the Aflao Chiefs have joined forces with government to scuttle former President Jerry John Rawlings� highly anticipated address on the commemoration of the occasion at Aflao Victoria Park.
On Thursday, the Chiefs, Council of Elders and people in the Aflao Traditional area registered their disapproval of and objection to the choice of Aflao as the venue for the 33rd Anniversary of the June 4th uprising.
In a letter signed by three eminent statesman from the area; Torgbui Nyueimedzi Anubo IV, Senior Divisional Chief of Aflao Traditional Area, Prof Ernest Dumor, Chairman, Aflao Council of Elders and Christian Yevunya, Chairman Aflao Youth Association, the chiefs said they are �apprehensive of� and feel �uncomfortable� that the area is to be used as a platform for staging a political contest and thus disassociated themselves from the celebrations and its ramifications.
According to the Chiefs, the NDC government has made lots of assurances to bring development to the region and allowing the celebrations to go on in Aflao might lead to government backtracking on its promises.
But speaking as a panelist on Metro TV�s Good Morning Ghana Show, Nana Akomea opined that it is a clear attack on the Rawlingses schemed through the chiefs by government machinery.
��You saw the attack on Nana Konadu when she tried to hold a meeting in Cape Coast�this latest one to deny former President Rawlings staging the anniversary in Aflao is the latest move of the warfare that is going on in the NDC. It is difficult to tell anybody that it is just some individuals in the Aflao town, who, on their own, just got up and decided that they will not allow former President Rawlings to hold an event in the Aflao township�government officials trooped to the town and then the next day�some people�signed a letter saying that the June 4th celebrations cannot be held�,� he said.
He noted that if truly the Chiefs are apprehensive that allowing the June 4th celebrations to be held in Aflao in the Volta Region could lead to government not honouring its promise of putting up infrastructural developments in the area, then the Mills administration is a vindictive one.
�This is dangerous for our politics, especially when we have freedom of speech and association,� Nana Akomea added.
However, a Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said he finds Nana Akomea�s analysis �amusing�.
Speaking on the same platform, Mr Ablakwa said it is disingenuous on the part of the NPPs Communications Director to link the Aflao chief�s diktat with government. According to the Deputy Minister who is also the NDC Parliamentary candidate for North Tongu, the Chiefs were simply just advising organizers of the June 4th celebrations because they are aware of the Constitution of Ghana which allows for freedom of movement.
�Nana Akomea is simply amusing sometimes. The Aflao traditional council is now an extension of the NDC or government?�I think we need a certain candor or seriously in discussing issues like this. How can you describe the elders and Chiefs as people who have joined government? It is not fair and you don�t do that�,� the deputy information minister said.
Source: Rebecca Addo-Tetteh/Peacefmonline
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |