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27.12.2013 Feature Article

Chiefs Of Agbozome Christmas Message To President Mahama

Chiefs Of Agbozome Christmas Message To President Mahama
27.12.2013 LISTEN

In a celebration like Christmas you expect someone to wish you or your institution a merry Christmas and prosperous new year ahead.

Two days after the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, the chiefs and people of Agbozome, Nogokpo and other surrounding towns and villages in the Ketu South District in the Volta Region presented a special message to the president and the NDC government.


Their message was not a Christmas message as all would have wished but rather a resolution threatening to take power into their own hands and fight for what they think is right for them.


On December 27, 2013, MYJOYONLINE.COM posted a news item on its website under the headline,” RESIDENTS OF AGBOZOME, OTHERS PROTEST KETA LAGOON TAKE OVER”.

According to the story, over 600 residents of Agbozome, Kpejakope, Nogokpo and other surrounding villages in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region including chiefs, the elderly and the children held a huge protest along the Keta Lagoon to register their anger over the take over of the Lagoon by an Indian firm.

It went on to say that the chiefs and the people claim that their source of livelihood which is the lagoon has been taken away from them without their knowledge by an Indian salt mining firm, Kesington salt factory hence heightening the level of poverty and exposing them to environmental dangers and making life unbearable for them.

Togbui Atsu Awuabah V, chief of Somey Traditional Area, speaking on behalf of the chiefs and people of the area said, three years ago without consulting them, the government gave the Lagoon to the Indian salt mining factory.

He was quoted as saying, although they have written several letters to various stakeholders including the minerals commission, Environmental Protection Agency EPA and the municipal assembly, there had been no response while the construction work was on going.

“From today, we will not sit down. They have power and government is using its machinery but our power is the people's power. Once government has shown that whether we live or die it is not concerned we will also find a way of living” he said.

That is a serious message to be issued by the chiefs in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region to the government especially during this time of the yuletide.

Especially where they have given the government agencies an ultimatum to do something about their concerns before they resort to the worse action.

This has really surprised many readers who got the news from myjoyonline.com website looking at the massive votes the president and the NDC party raked in the Keta constituency as well as the whole Volta Region in the last general elections against other political parties.

It is very worrying to observe that just within one year after the chiefs and people of the Volta Region have voted massively to elect the NDC party into power, they are in arms against the same elected government.

Does it mean that they were deceived to vote enblock for the NDC government and now realizing their mistakes? Or they did not do their home work well by refusing to drill the government on its adopted policies before accepting it through elections as they were still protesting over the Keta Lagoon take over.

Out of 26 constituencies forming the Volta Region, Keta Constituency is one of the constituencies where the NDC party raked more votes from eligible voters in the region in the last election.

Take a look at the parliamentary results of 2012 election where Mr. Richard Quashigah the NDC parliamentary candidate polled 33,570 votes representing 92.43 percent as against the NPP candidate Vordzorgbe Alex Mawunyo who polled 1,272 votes representing 3.50 percent followed by PPP candidate Wisdom Kwame Adonu 942 votes representing 2.59 percent, NVP Joseph Lugu 368 votes representing 1.01 percent and NDP candidate Edem Mensah 166 votes representing 0.46 percent.

Where was Mr. Richard Quashigah, the MP for the Keta constituency when his chiefs and electorates threatened to go on rampage whiles protesting against his government's take over of the Keta Lagoon which is the source of livelihood for the people?

The Member of Parliament for Keta constituency that the chiefs and the electorate are protesting against government take over of their source of livelihood, Keta Lagoon, was suppose to hold public meetings with the chiefs and the people in the constituency to collect their views and present it to the law making house for a positive action to be taken on it.

A critical look at the situation indicates that the link which is suppose to be between the chiefs and people on one side and that of their member of parliament Mr. Richard Quashigah, is missing which has left the chiefs and the electorate in limbo or living in the wilderness.

It is time the chiefs and people of the Ketu South District as well as other constituencies in the Volta Region, start turning their guns on their MPs to demand for accountability so far as their areas development are concern by making them busy in presenting their voice in the law making house.

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