MINIMISE GREED, MATERIALISM ...Togbe Afede XIV calls for right leaders (P.15)

Story: Tim Dzamboe

THE Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV, has said the nation has reached the state where the chosen leaders would work towards minimising greed and materialism than enriching themselves.
He said excessive greed and materialism were distorting national priorities and that leaders must set a good example by recognising the differences between their wants and their needs.
The Agbogbomefia said this when he addressed a durbar at the forecourt of his palace in honour of the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was on a visit to Ho.
He called on all who aspired to lead the nation to publicly declare their assets and added that those who did not want the public to know what they had did not qualify to lead the people.
Togbe Afede called for mutual respect and warned that nepotism, tribalism, intolerance and excessive politicisation of governance were the main causes of poverty and conflict and expressed the need for people to ward off such negative practices and rather work towards the preservation of peace.
According to him, tribal considerations appeared to feature in several aspects of our Ghanaian lives such as appointment to public office and the awarding of government contracts without recourse to demonstrated capability and honesty as underpinned by the constitutional requirement of regional balance.
He also said the Constitution was not in tune with ethnic realities, adding that for a country whose politics had sometimes been dominated by bitter ethnic rivalry, the Constitution had become outmoded because of the excessive power given to the executive branch of government.
“ The executive powers of appointment, the powers granted our unicameral legislature and the executive over the creation of electoral constituencies, and their powers over the creation and functioning of district assemblies, for example, require some checks”, he stated.
In an address, Nana Akufo-Addo said the national congress was historic in the annals of the party and thanked members for the great honour done him by electing him. He said that was also a great responsibility.
He said the party emerged from the congress stronger and that was demonstrated by the presence of all contestants during his post-election tour of the regions.
Nana Akufo-Addo said the excellent foundation laid by the NPP government and the unity of the party was indicative that the party deserved another mandate and that although it was a critical election year there was no basis for any form of violence.
He expressed the hope that the Electoral Commission would put in place appropriate arrangements to organise free and fair elections to preserve the status of the nation as the beacon of Africa.
He also said the support of the party in the Volta Region would improve appreciably under his tenure.