TOGBE AFEDE IS NEW PREZ OF NHC
The Agbogbomefia of
Asogli in the Volta region, Togbe Afede, has been elected as the new President of the reconstituted
National House of Chiefs with the paaramount chief the
Abeadze in the Central region, Daasebre Kwebu Awudzi as his Vice.
They will
serve for a four year renewable term.
The tenure of the 50-member National
House of Chiefs ended a few weeks ago
and has since been reconstituted by new members elected by the 10 Regional
Houses of Chiefs.
Each of the Regions has five representatives who will also
serve for four years from now.
This arrangement is in accordance with the Chieftaincy
Act of 2008, Act 759. The members swore the Oath of Membership by the outgoing
President of the House, Naa Professor John Nabila.
They later led by the Kumasi Supervising High
Court Judge, Justice Nicholas Abodakpi to swear the Oath of Secrecy and
Judicial Oath.
Thereafter, each of the four candidates in the presidential race
as well as the three Vice Presidential contenders, was given a limited time to
canvass for votes.
The candidates in the Presidential race were the paramount
chief of Akyem Abuakwa, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, his colleague from
Esikado in the Western region, Nana Kobina Nketsiah, Awulae Atibrukusu of Lower
Axim and the Agbogbomefia of Asgli, Togbe Afede.
The elections were supervised
by a team of officials of the Electoral Commission led by the Ashanti Regional
Director, Mr. Serebuor Quaicoo.
The three contenders for the Vice Presidential
slot were also given some time to convince the members to vote for them after which voting began.
After the voting, Togbe Afede polled 25 of the 49 ballots cast to emerge as the new
President of the National House of Chiefs.
His closest challenger, Awulae
Atibrukusu won 11 of the votes, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, 10 while Nana
Kobina Nketsiah managed only three of the votes.
In the contest for the Vice
President, Daasebre Kwebu Awudzi of the Abeaze traditional area polled
28 votes with the paramount chief of
Lawra, Lara Naa Puowele Karbo placing 2nd with 13 votes while Okatakyie Dr. Amenfe came third with eight of
the votes.
The new President, Togbe Afede, and his Vice, Daasebre Kwebu
Awudzi, were sworn into office by
Justice Nicholas Abodakpi.
The elections were observed by the Minister of
Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr. Seidu Danaa and some other non-members of the house
most of who accompanied the chiefs from their various traditional areas.
Togbe Afede
has succeeded Naa Prof. John Nabila while Daasebre Kwebu Awudzi takes over from
Awulae Atibrukusu who have both served the full eight year term. In his victory
speech, Togbe Afede pledged to restore dignity and reverence to the chieftaincy institution while exploring
avenues to generate more resource for the effective running of the
House.
The Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Dr. Seidu Danaa,
commended the members successfully conducting their elections.
Meanwhile, the
new President of the National House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede has implored chiefs
and traditional rulers to bring to bear their influence on their subjects for the maintenance of
peace and security in the country before, during and after next month’s
Presidential and Parliamentary elections since chiefs will bear the brunt in the event of
violence as a result of the elections.
The Ashanti Regional Director of the EC,
Mr. Serebuor Quaicoo, assured the chiefs that the EC is very much determined to
produce the most credible elections in Ghana’s history in the upcoming polls.
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