Chiefs in Ekumfi, Central Region, held a press conference in response to President Akufo-Addo‘s recent statement linking the community’s developmental needs to their rejection of the NPP Parliamentary candidate in the 2020 election. The Paramount Chief of Ekumfi, Odeefo Akyin VIII, emphasized democratic principles, rejecting the notion that the President can dictate the community’s choice of parliamentary representatives.
During the Monday event, Odeefo Akyin VIII expressed shock at the President’s assertion, stating, “We are extremely shocked by those statements and struggle to believe the same to be true because we particularly did not believe that the President…could politically segregate the country and treat others with disdain and dislike.”
The Chief called on President Akufo-Addo to provide data on developmental projects undertaken by the former MP for Ekumfi, Ato Cudjoe, questioning the basis for the President’s claim that retaining Ato Cudjoe would have been justified.
Odeefo Akyin VIII also highlighted the recent defeat of Ato Cudjoe in the NPP’s internal party primaries for the 2024 General Election, questioning why Ekumfi should suffer for his exit in 2020 when even the President’s own party members rejected him.
Expressing concern about the President’s remarks affecting the democratic right to vote freely, Odeefo Akyin VIII emphasized that the people of Ekumfi exercised their democratic right in the last election, and it should not be used as a tool for punishment.
Addressing the ongoing dispute over the autopsy report of the late President John Atta Mills, the Ekumfi chiefs urged the late president’s family to collaborate with the state to resolve the contentious issues.
Odeefo Akyin VIII criticized the public exchanges, calling them “appalling” and “disgraceful,” and warned against allowing external influences to perpetuate disunity.
The chiefs urged the President to consider the unity and well-being of the community, irrespective of political affiliations, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing development projects for the benefit of all residents in Ekumfi.
