Avenor Council of Chiefs and Akatsi DCE iron-out differences

Akatsi, Jan; 04, GNA - The Avenor Council of Chiefs and the Akatsi District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr. Nicholas Negble, on Monday ironed-out some points of misunderstanding between them and pledged to cooperate towards the speedy development of the area.

This was at a meeting to which the DCE was summoned to answer why he had unilaterally overturned a decision of the chiefs for the Akatsi Market to function a day before the December 07 election last year as the actual market day had coincided with the election.

The chiefs viewed it as an affront to their pride and dignity for the DCE, to whom they had allegedly communicated their decision, to by-pass them and caused to be made on an FM station, a running announcement that the December 07 market day remained unchanged.

Togbui Doglo Anuma V, paramount chief of the Avenor Traditional Council, opening the meeting, stated that he personally communicated to Mr. Negble, the decision of the chiefs on October 16, last year, to reverse the market day with the view to enable traders to be free on the polls day and to partake in it.

He said the DCE who expressed his satisfaction about the idea, proposed communicating the decision to the major villages in the district by van and on an FM station for traders outside the district and the Volta Region.

Togbui Anuma said another meeting attended by representatives of political parties, chiefs, market women, Akatsi District Assembly and security agencies endorsed the decision to reverse the market day. He said they rather heard with shock and disbelief an announcement on the Volta FM in the name of Mr. Negble that the market day remained unchanged on December 7, last year.

Togbui Anuma said The DCE refused to answer an emergency meeting called by chiefs on December four to review the controversy with him and therefore called the meeting for him to answer why he did so. Mr. Negble explained he caused the announcement to be made on the FM station following reports to him that some officials of the NDC had earlier announced at the previous market the proposed change in the market day without recourse to his authority and that of the Assembly. He said he had to counter the NDC announcement to affirm his authority as the only political head in the district on such and similar issues.

The DCE insisted he had no deliberate aim to disobey the chiefs and called for their forgiveness and cooperation.

He asked them to debunk speculations that he ordered works to be stopped on some on-going development project in the district and also recalled some items he presented to some communities after he has failed to win the parliamentary seat for the Ave-Avenor area. Mr. Negble expressed his gratitude to the chiefs and pledged to always consult and cooperate with them, sayings there was the need for mutual respect for all authorities in the area.