Agotime Chiefs complain to minister

Ho, March 18, GNA - The Chiefs of Agotime Traditional Area in the Ho District on Wednesday met Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister to protest against what they said was a contrived overturn of a popular decision to site the capital of the proposed Adaklu-Anyigbe District at Agotime-Kpetoe.
Nene Nuer Keteku III, Konor of Agotime, who led the seven-member delegation comprising other chiefs and opinion leaders, said the purported naming of Adaklu-Waya as the preferred capital could be an intrigue and must be investigated.
He contended that Agotime-Kpetoe was picked as capital of the new district, which was carved out of the Ho District, not for fanciful reasons, but based on criteria that included accessibility and availability of infrastructure.
Nene Keteku said their information was based on a newspaper report on March 11, this year that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) had presented lists of new districts, including Adaklu-Anyigbe, with Adaklu-Waya as capital, to Parliament for approval. He referred to reports of committees of the Ho District Assembly and said it was without doubt that the first decision to site the capital there was in the best interest of all.
Nene Keteku told the Regional Minister that Chiefs of the area had petitioned Parliament to unravel the circumstances surrounding the new development since, they found the reasons given by Local Government officials that the change had been directed "from above" due to pressure from some citizens of Adaklu, strange.
Mr Owusu-Yeboa, who was flanked by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State Responsible for Tertiary Education and Mr Steve Selormey, Regional Coordinating Director, said the allegation that the MLGRD might have acted under pressure was at variance with the workings of government. He said government decisions were based on prescribed criteria saying, it was not the best to depend on newspaper publications as a conclusive basis for forming opinions, adding that he would have preferred a formal document.
The Minister who said he could only forward the chiefs' concerns on a factual basis exhorted the chiefs to use due process to pursue their complaints.
"While pursing your legitimate concerns, care must be taken that all is done within the law", he stated. "In these matters, certain criteria exist for taking decisions," he said, adding that neither of the two towns had the birth right to the capital.
He gave the assurance that government would not discriminate against the people of Kpetoe and would not vary decisions due to pressure from anywhere.
Ms Ohene suggested that since the chiefs claimed that other traditional areas including some areas in the Adaklu supported Kpetoe for the capital, they should be seen to be working together. Also at the meeting was Mr Mawutor Goh, Ho District Chief Executive.