Western Region chiefs deny funding Akufo-Addo statue
The Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove, Nana Akwasi Agyeman IV, has rejected claims that the chiefs of the Western Region funded the controversial statue of former President Akufo-Addo.
The statue, which was unveiled during Akufo-Addo’s tour in November 2024, was placed in front of the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi.
“I promised not to comment on the statue issue due to the widespread insults we chiefs have received. But I, Nana Akwasi Agyeman, can confirm that the chiefs of the Western Region did not fund the statue,” Nana Akwasi Agyeman stated.
He emphasised that no chief contributed financially to the construction of the statue, adding, “If any chief contributed, I am yet to know.”
Nana Akwasi Agyeman also described how he was caught off guard and was convinced by former Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah to unveil the statue.
“We were invited to attend the former President’s thank-you tour, and we met him at the GNAT Hall. It was there that Okyere Darko Mensah asked me to join them in presenting a gift to the President, and we would head to Effia-Nkwanta Hospital. It was only upon arrival that I learnt it was a statue. I didn’t even know it was a statue,” he explained.
The statue sparked controversy due to public dissatisfaction over Akufo-Addo’s perceived minimal contribution to the region’s development.
It was eventually destroyed by unknown individuals on January 13, 2025, following widespread backlash.