NDC Not Interested In Development Of Volta Region - Togbe Afede, Volta4Change Go Wild

Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli and President of Volta Region House of Chiefs, has reportedly accused the National Democratic Congress of not showing interest in developmental issues that affect the people in the region.

He has also accused the governing party of taking the region for granted with a show of gross disrespect towards the chiefs and the people.

The renowned paramount chief is particularly incensed by the continuous tagging of the Volta Region as the ‘World Bank’ of the NDC, saying the party is only interested in the votes of the electorate, and not the development of the Region.

"I have tried severally to engage political heads from the local level to the regional to discuss development in our areas but unsuccessful. I personally called and sent text messages but they were not honoured. Many other chiefs in the Region complained of same and you call us your world bank just for votes. If you don’t meet the chiefs and deliberate on development issues then it means you are representing yourself in government and not the people," Togbe Afede XIV was quoted by the Ghana News Agency to have said.

Togbe Afede poured out his lamentations when Volta Regional Executive and Election Taskforce paid a courtesy call to introduce themselves to him.

He said he did not understand why politicians only visit chiefs when elections are approaching and described that act as show of insolence to traditional authorities.

Togbe Afede also chastised politicians for seeing politics as a means of enriching themselves at the expense of the people, with the struggle for contracts and jobs being the order of the day.

"Politics is not an end in itself; it must bring development and happiness to the people, not a select few. It must create opportunity for all, whether in NPP or NDC," he said.

Togbe Afede called on the parties to shun tribal politics and unite the country for peace and development.

In a related development, pressure group Volta4Change has described the continuous tagging of the region by the NDC as one of the “cruel tactics” used by the party to exploit the people in the region.

According to the pressure group, the time has come for the people to rise against the NDC, to stop it from wreaking havoc on the region, and paying lip-service to issues of development.

The group has, therefore, expressed it readiness to join Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP, to campaign for victory for the opposition party in the December's elections.

Volta4Change believes the NPP and Nana Akufo-Addo remain the answers to the plights and sufferings of Ghanaians, and the region in particular.

"For these reasons, Volta4Change after a careful review of all the alternatives available as president of our dear country, have decided to endorse and support the candidature of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo," the group said in a statement.

The statement was signed by Abraham Futukpor, Eyram Doe, Kwame Ashiabi and Wilson Marfo Kpakpladja, leaders of the group.

It noted that after eight years of incompetence and mismanagement, it would be an absolute travesty if the people made the mistake of voting for President Mahama in the upcoming elections, for him “to continue to accelerate the rot that has spread through every district in the Volta Region like a malignant cancer.”

The statement added that the claim that the NDC is for the Volta Region is a “myth”, explaining that if that was the case the governing party would not allow the Volta Region to rot to the extent that it is almost impossible for the people to live decent lives.

It said the fact that the Founder of the NDC, who left office 16 years ago, hails from the region does not automatically make it a party that has or will look after the interest of the people.

"Assuming without admitting that we vote NDC because of its founder, it is common knowledge that the founder has persistently chastised the John Mahama government as being highly corrupt and fraught with people with of questionable characters who are unfit to be leaders," the group said in the statement.

It continued: "John Mahama sees us as a guaranteed perpetual source of votes, even when we have been neglected. Indeed, we have been described as the ‘World Bank’ of the NDC, yet they have no incentive to provide our region with the support that it gravely needs. In the minds of the NDC, no matter how bad things get in the Volta Region or they treat us, they will still be voted for."

The group believes that "To vote for John Mahama en masse like we continually do for the NDC will be tantamount to a regional suicide. For us Voltarians, the 2016 general election boils down to one issue - what future do we want for our region?”

It adds: "to those that continue to vote for the NDC out of a misplaced sense of ‘tribal loyalty’, ask yourself whether or not your life has changed for the better within the eight years of this NDC government? Inflation, dumsor, dilapidation of infrastructure and corruption has followed John Mahama like a putrid smell. In this year's elections, our votes will be decided on issues and issues only."

Th statement mentioned dilapidated roads, under-resourced health care facilities, failing schools, youth unemployment among others as things that continue to drag them behind, adding that with almost eight years in power, President Mahama had failed to deal with these problems.