Akuffo-Addo's desperate attempt to disrupt Yagbonwura's 1st year anniversary celebration borne out of failed promises - Savannah NDC

Akuffo-Addo's desperate attempt to disrupt Yagbonwura's 1st year anniversary celebration borne out of failed promises - Savannah NDC 

The communications bureau of the opposition National Democratic Congress in the Savannah Region has accused president Akuffo-Addo of aggressively attempting to disrupt the First Year Anniversary Celebration of the King of Gonjaland alongside the 48th Annual Congress of the Gonjaland Youth Association due to the many unfulfilled promises his government made to the kingdom.

According to the Regional Communications Officer of the party, R.A Jalil in a pressure copied to this blogger, president Akuffo-Addo described ironically as "Jack Toronto" and his 'Driver's Mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia were simply afraid that Yagbonwura will demand answers for the many repeated failed promises made to the kingdom and hence the attempt to disrupt the twin celebrations by storming out of the durbar grounds unceremoniously with his NPP supporters. 

Some of these unfulfilled promises he recounted included: the promise to construct a Regional House of Chiefs edifice ,the "almighty" Damongo water project, intentional neglect of maintenance work on the 147-Kilometer Sawla-Damongo-Fulfulso road, IDIF, IVID, Nursing School at Sawla, 20 Kilometers of Cocoa roads at Bole, Salaga District Hospital, the construction of the Daboya bridge among other unfulfilled promises.

According to him, the recent lamentations by the P.R.O of the Gonjaland Youth Association, Muftawu Habib about the misconduct of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and MP for Damongo Constituency, hon. Abu Jinapor has vindicated the long-standing believe of the NDC that the minister is the architect behind all the confusions and disrespect of his party to our chiefs, adding that, his days as Member of Parliament are numbered.

Read full statement below:

THE UNACCEPTABLE AND DISRESPECTFUL ATTITUDE OF THE PRESIDENT H.E NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO AND HIS PARTY MEMBERS TO YAGBONWURA AND GONJALANDERS AT THE 48TH ANNUAL GLYA CONGRESS/ ONE-ANNIVERSARY OF JIRAH YGBONWURA SOALE BII-KUNUTO JEWU I 

Esteemed members of the press,

I extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you to today's press conference.

This press conference is of utmost importance due to the numerous instances of unacceptable behavior and ongoing misconduct by the NPP in the Savannah Region of Ghana.

As you are well aware, the entire Gonjaland community, both locally and internationally, including royalty and ordinary citizens, gathered at Damongo, the traditional and administrative center of Gonjaland, to participate in the 48th annual Gonjaland Congress and to show support for the Overlord and King of Gonjas as he celebrated his one-year anniversary of ascending to the revered throne of Jakpa.

The 2024 annual Gonjaland Youth Congress, which concluded on Saturday, April 27, 2024, witnessed one of the most disheartening moments in Gonjaland history as we once again witnessed President Akufo-Addo and the NPP's blatant disregard for the cherished chieftaincy institution in Ghana, particularly in the Savannah region.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press,

Through this press statement, we want to strongly express our utmost displeasure at the President's arrogance and disrespect towards the King and Overlord of Gonjas, His Excellency John Dramani, and by extension, members of the Gonjaland Youth Association.

The President's unfettered taste for the total disrespectful behavior towards the chieftaincy institution is becoming increasingly intolerable.

I'm sure many of you have seen a recent video circulating, showing our President assuming his rehearsed domineering 'Lord of Lords and King of Kings' posture, commanding a traditional chief who was sitting in state to rise and greet him at the funeral ceremony of Ghana's late ambassador to Nigeria, held in the Oti region.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

Not long before the incident in the Oti region, the President was observed in an egotistical 'Jack Toronto' stance, directing the then Greater Accra regional minister to forcibly lift a traditional chief from his seat to prostrate in honor of Akufo-Addo.

At the 2024 annual Gonjaland Congress, which concluded on Saturday, April 27, 2024, it was the turn of the Overlord and King of the Gonja State and all of Gonjaland to experience President Akufo-Addo's pomposity and the contentious leadership of the NPP in the Savannah Region, led by Hon. Saeed Muazu (Regional Minister), Hon. Abu Jinapor (Minister of Natural Resources), and Alhaji Kalamonia (Regional Chairman).

Regrettably, Ladies and Gentlemen, the hollow President and the NPP leadership in the Savannah region did not hesitate to extend an overdose of their pomposity, arrogance, disrespect, and distasteful acts of continued disrespect towards traditional leadership and the Yagbonwura.

It is prudent at this juncture to provide a brief background of the events.

Firstly, the President was accorded all courtesies and respect as the Special Guest of Honor at the Yagbonwura’s 1-year anniversary and the 48th GLYA annual Congress, while H.E. John Dramani Mahama was invited as a proud son of the land and Guest of Honor.

Secondly, the program began with the President arriving late when the chairman of the program was delivering his acceptance speech.

Thirdly, after taking his seat, protocol dictated that the President speaks after all principal speakers had addressed the gathering, allowing him to grasp the concerns of the King and the association.

This customary procedure and protocol were disregarded and thrown to the dogs by the President and NPP leadership when the minister of lands and natural resources Hon. Abu Jinapor forcibly seized the microphone from the MCs and handed it to the President to speak first. 

At this point, it is apparent from the look on the faces of all here-in-gathered that many are left wondering why President Akuffo-Addo would insist on speaking before the King.

Fourthly, after Abu Jinapor forcefully took the microphone and the President concluded his usual boring and uninspiring speech, the President, accompanied by the NPP leadership in the region, suddenly left the durbar grounds without listening to the concerns of the King.

Press men present, the recent lamentation by the PRO of the GLYA Mr. Habib Muftaw about the misconduct of the minister for lands and natural resources has vindicated our long standing believe that he Abu Jinapor is the architect behind all the confusions and disrespect of his party to our chiefs. 

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press,

Intelligence gathered suggests that the President instructed his subordinates to seize the microphone and create an opportunity for him to speak, intending to disrupt the first anniversary of the King and Overlord along with the 48th Gonjaland Youth Association Congress for several reasons:

1. The president had a hint that the king among his speech was going to remind him of some unfulfilled promises he and his drivers mate Bawumia made to his kinsmen some years ago

2. President Akuffo-Addo could not tolerate the fact that H.E. John Mahama personally covered all expenses related to and had on the previous day cut sod for the construction of the initial phase of the reimagined Jakpa Palace, intended to serve as a multifunctional palace befitting the Status of the King of Gonjas.

3. President Akufo-Addo was displeased and angry that the King and Overlord, in adherence to the established traditions and customs of the Jakpa Skins, refused to stand up and prostrate before him.

How shameful could this be!

Let me doff my hat for Jirah for refusing to kowtow to Ghana’s Nebuchadnezzar

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, despite President Akufo-Addo's frustration with the Gonjas and their King for upholding the traditions and customs of the Gonja State, and his aggressive attempts to disrupt the first-year anniversary of the King by storming out of the durbar grounds with his supporters, we are compelled to remind the self-proclaimed "God of Ghana," Akufo-Addo, through this medium, of some of his deceptive acts and unfulfilled promises for which Gonjaland and the Savannah region intend to hold him accountable:

1. On September 23, 2020, the President ceremonially inaugurated the construction of a Regional House of Chiefs. We ask, Mr. Jack Toronto, what progress has been made on this project?

2. What is the current status of the Damongo ghost Waste Plant that he commissioned years ago?

3. What has become of the Damongo ghost Water Project, for which he laid the sod four years ago? The people of Damongo demand answers.

4. The intentional neglect of maintenance on the 147-kilometer Sawla-Damongo-Fufulso road is deeply troubling to the region's inhabitants.

5. Where are the decent jobs, he promised the teeming youth of the Savannah region? 

6. Where in Bole township can we locate the 20 kilometers of cocoa roads as captured in your bogus performance tracker?

7. Where is the Nursing School in Sawla, which his government supposedly equipped with a KVIP toilet, according to his performance tracker?

8. What has become of the district factories pledged to us the people of the Savannah Region?

9. We demand the immediate removal of the chanfan machines from Daboya, which were brought there under false pretenses in the name of constructing the Daboya bridge.

10. We call upon Jack Toronto to promptly commission the purportedly 100% completed Salaga District Hospital, as indicated by his performance tracker. 

Ladies and gentlemen of the press,

In conclusion, let me affirm that we are privileged to align ourselves with H.E. John Dramani Mahama, a nation-builder of impeccable integrity and track record, a man worthy of trust. He is the man to implement the 24-hour Economy initiative, providing employment opportunities for the region's unemployed youth and the nation as a whole.

THANK YOU!

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham