The Asogli State Council has repudiated two stories that were attributed to its President, Agbogbomefia Togbui Afede XIV.
In a statement, the Council distanced itself from the two stories which claimed that the Asogli King had hinted at a disappointment of Ewes in the opposition national Democratic Congress (NDC) which has had the Volta Region as its stronghold throughout the Fourth Republic.
The first publication, which is titled ‘Volta Chiefs Blast Opposition NDC’, with Togbe’s picture at the top, ‘the chiefs and people of the Volta Region’ were reported to have, among other things, “accused or blamed the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the poor or low level of development in the region over the years.”
The said publication also said: “We, the chiefs and people of the region, are saying that we are tired of voting for NDC. The propaganda in the NDC is too much. We shall change our way of voting come December 7, 2020.”
In the second publication, Togbe Afede XIV was purported to have said: “We have, since 1992, supported the NDC because its (sic) was founded by one of our very own, his excellency Flt Lt J J Rawlings because he is our blood, our brother, father and a renounced personality from our land,” adding that: “Because of him, we have supported the NDC from 1992 through thick and thin and still continue to support them even though, this loyalty has not been replicated in terms of infrastructural projects, jobs and investments in our region.”
The counter-statement which was signed by the Secretary to the Council, Stephen Tetteh, emphasized that “Togbe has nothing to do with the two publications.”
It described the stories as, “the work of shameless, mischievous and evil-minded people”.
The strongly-worded statement against the alleged fake news is coming at a time that the Akufo-Addo government is seen to have blown a golden opportunity to win the Volta Region to the side of the governing NPP.
Following massive voter apathy during the 2016 election that led to Akufo-Addo and the NPP winning power, many feared, that Voltarian displeasure with the NDC created an opportunity for Akufo-Addo to woo the region for the NDC, a thing that critics felt would have been easily accomplished given that Voltarian displeasure with NDC was due to the perception that the NDC had given more development to other parts of the country than the Volta Region.
Akufo-Addo’s Presidency was also presented with an opportunity to prove critics wrong about perceptions that he condoned violent, ethnocentrism.
However, that opportunity is now out of the window, after he reportedly sent military and party thugs after Voltarians across the country.