My name was removed from Farmers’ Day Programme at the 11th hour – Togbe Afede

The President of the National House of Chiefs, Agbogbomefia Togbe Afede XIV, has revealed that his name was yanked the 11th hour from the programme for this year’s National Farmers Day event held in Ho.

When he stood before his peers at the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Thursday, he did not give reason why his name was deleted from programme.

Explaining the circumstances leading to his disappearance from the list, he said he was informed he was going to be the chairman of the programme at Ho, the Volta Regional capital on December 6, 2019.

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

However, suspicions are rife that it could be because of the statement the House of Chiefs issued calling for the rejection of political parties’ participation in local government elections in the now called December 17 referendum.

With a section of the public condemning him for issuance of the statement,Togbe Afede said the reactions by Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi, Chief of the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area and President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs was unfortunate, misleading and mostly untrue.

He said the issues was referred to the Governance and Development Committee of which Ogyeahoho Gyebi was the chairman adding that the matter matter was referred to the committee on two occasions.

While Ogyeahoho Gyebi  says he knew nothing about it and members were not consulted, the Asogli State leader said it cannot be true.

Interestingly, the Daily Graphic reported that the three chiefs who criticised the statement publicly, Nana Professor S. K. B. Asante, the Asokoremanhene, the Okyenhen, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II and Ogyeaboho Gyebi were all absent at Thursday’s meeting.

Many who watched the event expected to see Togbe Afede, the Paramount Chief of the Asogli State which covers Ho and its adjourning communities.

Rather, it was the  Awomefia Torgbui Sri II who chaired the function that honours the country’s gallant farmers.