Daasebre Blames Saboteurs Over Delay in Varsity Project

Daasebre Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, has hinted that the All Nations University Project planned for New Juaben has stalled because some saboteurs flew to Toronto, Canada, to block the release of funds for it just because of him.

"Their bone of contention was merely that I was an opposition man and New Juaben had been voting consistently for the opposition. Recently, I went to Canada and I was told plainly," the new Juabenmanhene said in an interaction with the press at his palace, Monday, May 14. the occasion formed part of the observation of the last Akwasidae, which was followed by the swearing-in of the new Queenmother, Nana Yaa Daani II, as member of the Palace Judicial Committee.

A meeting of the New Juabenman to raise funds in aid of the Accra Stadium Disaster Victims also proceeded the interaction. The subject under which Daasebre dropped the hint about the University debacle was the need for peace.

Observing that factionalism, backbiting and disagreement had dogged the Traditional Council in many of its dealings, including the selection of the Queenmother, Daasebre expressed the need for all to close the chapter on the past.

"We open our arms, accordingly, to welcome on board all those who dissented or sat on the fence in the past, so that, together, we can hasten the development of New Juaben. My clarion call is for unity in development," he stressed.

In late 1999, a New Juaben citizen domiciled in Canada, Dr. Sam Donkor, made considerable news when he broke the grounds for commencement of an 11-storey University at Afidwase near Koforidua.

The pomp and ceremony attracted ministers of State, a member of the Council of State and other high profile persons as well as the New Juaben Traditional Authorities. Seedlings of walnut were planted for posterity as a choir of the All Nations Church played Gospel music to solemnize the ceremony.

Today, those trees have died and the whole 1,000 hectres of land annexed for the project regenerated into a secondary forest. Early last year, agents of Dr. Sam Donkor claimed that prefabricated materials for the building had berthed at the Tema Port, waiting delivery.

In an interview with this paper at Koforidua, one of them insisted that the University would be opened to the first batch of students in September, last year. Before the hint was dropped by the Juabenhene, a flimsy reason for the delay was making the rounds to the effect that the Afidwase and Koforidua towns of New Juaben could not agree on the inscription to be placed on the signboard.

While one town insisted on having "All Nations University, Afidwase," the other argued that the capital Koforidua, should naturally go with the institution. But a more serious problem had to do with the acquisition of land for the project.

Few of the hundreds of farmers whose plots were taken were paid reasonable compensations. Most say they have received nothing at all to date and agitations to obstruct constructional work were sharp last year.

The explanation given by Daasebre Oti Boateng, therefore, comes as a different dimension all together. As he added, his detractors and opponents promised to pay the All Nations Development Agency every cedi it had already incurred just so it would abandoned the project.