General News of Tuesday, 24 March 2009

Source: Nathan Gadugah for JFM

Ultimatum to Kufuor over office complex

The Osu Traditional Council has issued an ultimatum for the ex-president J.A. Kufuor to vacate his newly acquired office complex.

The move appears to be in consonance with earlier threats of picketing by the Ga-Dangme Youth for the ex-president to vacate the premises.

Spokesperson of the group Abraham Adjetey said they are bent on making life uncomfortable for the ex-president if he flouts their order of eviction.

He the Accra based radio station, JOYFM, that Kufuor treated the council with disrespect during his reign and turned deaf ears to the council’s grievances.

According to Mr. Adjetey, the ex-president failed to give approval for a bungalow to be used by the Council as a secretarial office, stressing the ex-president has acquired the premises illegally.

He said the office in question is the property of the Osu Traditional Council.

Mr. Adjetey further argued the office of the ex-president situated at Ridge will create problems for the sitting president Atta Mills.

He vehemently dismissed claims that their actions were politically motivated.

In a rebuttal, Mr. Arnold Boateng spokesperson for the Alliance for Accountable Governance said the demand by the Ga Traditional Council is “shameless and ridiculous.”

He stressed the ex-president acquired the office complex on the express permission of President Mills and advised the aggrieved persons to channel their grievances to the sitting president.

He cautioned the demands by the traditional council could destabilize the peaceful co-existence of the different ethnic groups in the country.