Chiefs body removes Ogyeahohor as committee chair

The National House of Chiefs (NHC) has removed the Omanhene of the Sefwi Anhwianso Traditional Area, Ogyeahohor Yaw Gyebi II as the chairman of the Governance and Development Committee of the House with immediate effect.

This is because, according to the NHC, it was the second time Ogyeahohor Yaw Gyebi II had gone public to criticise a unanimous decision taken by the House.

• Related story: 
• Why Togbe Afede wants a 'NO' vote in December 17 referendum

Recounting the processes that led to the issuance of a statement by the National House of Chiefs (NHC) on why partisan politics should be rejected at local level elections and the subsequent public pronouncements by Ogyeahohor Yaw Gyebi II in disagreement with the position of the House, the President of the NHC, the Agbogbomefia Togbe Afede XIV said the reactions by Ogyeahohor Yaw Gyebi, who is also the President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs was unfortunate, misleading and mostly untrue.

Play audio to listen to Togbe Afede: {mp3}Togbe Afede on Farmers Day name removal from programme{/mp3}

Togbe Afede who was speaking at the final meeting of the House for the year in Kumasi on Thursday [December 12, 2019], said following thorough discussions on the matter by members, it was referred to the Governance and Development Committee of which Ogyeahoho Gyebi was the chairman.

Indeed, according to Togbe Afede, the matter was referred to the committee on two occasions, therefore, it will be wrong for Ogyeahohor Gyebi to say he knew nothing about it and members were not consulted.

Strangely, the three chiefs who criticised the statement publicly, Nana Professor S. K. B. Asante, the Asokoremanhene, the Okyenhen, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II and Ogyeabohor Gyebi were all absent at Thursday's meeting.

The House subsequently, removed Ogyeahohor Gyebi as the Chair of the Governance and Development Committee with immediate effect, because according to Togbe Afede, it was the second time he had gone public to criticise a unanimous decision taken by the House.

The other two were spared but the Naba Sigri Bewag, Sekoti Naba, insisted they apologise for bringing the name of the House into disrepute.

Read also: Togbe Afede reveals he was yanked from Farmers Day programme

Graphic Online's Kumasi correspondent, Daniel Kenu reports that addressing the House at the meeting on Thursday, the Agbogbomefia Togbe Afede XIV, revealed that his name was yanked from the programme for this year's National Farmers Day held in Ho at the eleventh hour.

Although, he did not assign any reason as to why his name was taken off whilst he was speaking at a meeting of the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Thursday morning [December 12, 2019], it is believed that it was apparently due to the statement issued by the National House of Chiefs on the rejection of partisan politics at the local level ahead of the withdrawn December 17th referendum.

Graphic Online’s Daniel Kenu reported that Togbe Afede, who is also the Paramount Chief of the Asogli Traditional Area said he had been informed he was going to be the chairman of the programme which was held in Ho on Friday, December 6, 2019.

And indeed, he travelled to Ho a day earlier, only for his name to be removed from the list at the last minute, he said.

Togbe Afede said in the said statement, the house never canvased for a 'NO' vote but rather based on the legal committee's report (presented by Nana Prof S.K. B. Asante), it called for rejection of partisan politics at the local level.

He said the statement from the House had come out earlier before the NDC's 'NO' vote canvas and therefore, the two could not be linked.

The President of the National House of Chiefs said he was committed to doing the best for Ghana and the House and did not become president to mislead the views of the House.

• Read also
• Why Togbe Afede wants a 'NO' vote in December 17 referendum
• December 17 Referendum: House of Chiefs stirs controversy
• National House of Chiefs ‘No’ vote campaign is unfortunate - Awulae Agyefi
• What Nana S.K.B. Asante told National House of Chiefs on December 17 referendum
• Politicisation of work of commission on new regions worrying — National House of Chiefs
• What Togbe Afede said about the creation of Oti Region
• Commission can’t exclude regions to be altered from voting - Togbe Afede
• New Regions: Dan Botwe baffled by Togbe Afede's baseless comments
• Growing politics of insults worrying — Togbe Afede