Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV, at the 2024 Asogli Te Za Grand Durbar in Ho has expressed grave concern about the growing tribalism, extreme political partisanship and rising lawlessness in the country.
“While real leaders are committed to uniting their people, here in our country, everything is tribalism or politicised. You would recall pronouncements that were made recently with regard to the destruction caused by tidal waves in southern Volta – very tribalistic and partisan.”
Togbe Afede XIV opines that because those at the helm of affairs have no respect for the truth, lawlessness, and over-politicisation of the economic and social life of the nation have become fertile grounds for greed and corruption “which I believe have been the biggest obstacles to our development.”
He added that, “While other leaders are focused on development, ours have been focusing on property ownership. They have replaced our colonial masters in the reckless scramble for the national resources that belong to all of us.
He decried the seeming desecration of democracy saying, “Our democracy has become an enterprise that benefits a few. Ghana has become like an orphan child raped by the very people who have obtained our mandate to take care of her. As I have always said, corrupt officials are like termites at the woodwork, eating at the very foundations of our development.
“So, many of our political office seekers, unfortunately, are wolves in sheepskin who crave for power as a means to their own selfish ends. But I believe that by the grace of the good Lord, we shall recognise the bad ones in their disguise.”
Besides, Togbe Afede XIV noted that lawlessness and indiscipline have become the bane of the nation. “We have seen an increase in armed robbery and other crimes in many parts of our country. We have heard about the lynching of innocent people, most recently in Kasoa, where the victim, a young prison officer, was suspected of being a thief.
“Last year, we heard about the killing of a young former student of Ketasco, and about a month ago, a young student was killed at O’Reilly Secondary School. These are all the results of suffering, of poverty and consequential lawlessness.”
As far as Togbe Afede XIV is concerned, the nation deserves better. “As I said, we are so well endowed by nature, and even more importantly for me, with a young and growing population and generally very peace-loving people. I believe that we owe our peace to the patience of Ghanaians. Their patience is what has allowed our fourth republic to survive.”
But he is worried because the country is in a precarious situation. “Real leaders are very honest and committed to the principles of truth, transparency, justice, and the rule of law. But in our country, these principles are generally bastardised in the pursuit of partisan political and selfish desires.
“We have been fed with so many lies that it has become very difficult for us to know what is true and what is not true. And many a time, we see people who do the good things or say the right things vilified instead of praised.”
According to Togbe Afede XIV, “I have been a victim of this myself recently when I returned money paid to me as ex-gratia, that I thought was not deserved. Unfortunately, with the complicity of the Council of State secretariat, the impression was given that I was an absentee member of the Council, a Council in which I played a very active role as chairman of one of its three committees, the Economy and Special Development Initiatives Committee.”
He lamented that, “Most wicked was the false claim that I received transport allowance for traveling from Ho whereas I lived in Accra. Well, I have asked my lawyers to invoke the Right to Information Act and obtain relevant original data to debunk all the lies.”
In his opinion if these flaws are not tackled with all seriousness, the ability of the country to attract foreign investments would suffer tremendously because, “Investors do not see themselves welcomed except to places where the law works, and where there is discipline.”
Source: Richard Nana Appiah Kubi/Ahotoronline.com
