A resident of Aflao in the Volta region has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to apologize to the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti for indicating that he should complete the E-block by himself.
“We are annoyed with the president, the way the president is talking to Volta region or Aflao Paramount Chief because of the school over there, it is painful.
“The president is supposed to come to the Paramount Chief to come and apologize to the whole Ketu South or Aflao because Aflao is a big town in Ghana,” a resident told TV3 on Friday, October 22.
President Akufo-Addo had said most of the E-block projects started by the Mahama administration have been completed by his government. Others are also at various stages of completion, he said.
His comments came after the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti, had given the government a four-month ultimatum to open the e-block community day senior high school which in his view, has stalled since 2016.
The ¢9 million project which was part of some 200 classroom blocks the erstwhile Mahama administration started was supposed to have some 26 classrooms attached and 5 departments including a science block
“After senior high school education, the next degree that my people have to do is to go to border and go and do kayayo, no school.
“The only school that we have is the RC Senior High School that belongs to the Catholic Mission Minor Seminary. So this thick population have no place to go and people sit down in that big hall called parliament and not thinking about Aflao, a place after the Tema Harbour, the next revenue generation is from the Aflao border.
“I had to push the former President Mahama for the structure to be constructed over there. I had to be running from here to Accra begging. Should we beg for education?”
But Mr Akufo-Addo questioned why the Chief is giving the sector minister an ultimatum.
He said on Accra-based Peace FM Thursday, October 21 that “Many of the E-blocks are being worked on across the country.
“Is he [Aflao Chief] the one to give the minister ultimatum then he should go ahead and complete the project.”
North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also asked Mr Akufo-Addo to retract his comments.
According to him, Mr Akufo-Addo’s response smacks of disrespect and condescension.
In a Facebook post Mr Ablakwa said that “Our revered chiefs and custodians of our proud traditions deserve utmost respect at all times regardless of which part of the country they exercise their authority.
“The venerable Torgbui Adzongaga Amenya Fiti V and the people of Aflao deserve an immediate retraction and apology from President Akufo-Addo.
“No chief anywhere in Ghana should be spoken to with such derision, disrespect and condescension.
“Torgbui Fiti V rather deserves commendation for his courage in speaking out against the reckless wasteful culture of abandoning inherited projects.
“We are one people united in our collective successes and challenges; intemperate language from the President who ordinarily should be strengthening national cohesion with his pronouncements ought to be condemned by all well meaning Ghanaians.”
