Don’t pull Akufo-Addo down – Nitiwul fumes at Abuakwa residents

The Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul has chastised residents of the newly created Abuakwa North municipality over the court injunction placed on the inauguration of the new assembly by some disgruntled indigenes.

The Minister who was at Akyem Kukurantumi to inaugurate the assembly on behalf of the president became disappointed when he sighted an injunction on the exercise despite a durbar held in readiness for the ceremony.

Mr. Nitiwul rebuked the residents of Akyem Abuakwa North for what he says is an attempt to thwart the efforts of the President to accelerate development in his “own hometown” describing it as a disgrace.

“Don’t let us be fighting over district capital or municipal Assembly capital it doesn’t help us particularly where the President is coming from, the President comes from this place so I’m pleading with you that this should be the last time we should hear anybody bring the name of the President into disrepute. Abuakwa, you have struggled since 1957 and if Almighty God has blessed your with your son as President, all you can do is to help him succeed not pull him down. We are inaugurating all district assemblies today and only in President’s home town somebody decided to take the matter to court, who do you think you are disgracing, not the President, not our President, not your president you are disgracing yourselves”

Though the Minister was disappointed over the injunction, he assured that the case will not be successful.

“The reason why we are not inaugurating the assembly today is that some people have decided to take the matter to court, they say we should not inaugurate the assembly, yes we will not inaugurate the assembly today but I can assure you that their action will go no anywhere, this assembly will be inaugurated here”.

Two residents of Akyem Old Tafo – Adjei Boateng and Addo Sarpong secured injunction from a Koforidua High Court on the inaugural exercise over the siting of Akyem Kukurantumi as the Municipal Capital.

The plaintiffs through their Solicitor- Godwin Kudzo Tamaklo ESQ of Ayine and Felli Legal Consultancy firm in Accra are praying the court to direct the Government of Ghana to make Akyem New Tafo the Municipal capital of Abuakwa North Municipal Assembly with immediate effect.

The plaintiffs contend that Akyem Tafo is more qualified to be municipal capital than Kukurantumi considering the strategic governance infrastructure such as Electoral Commission office, the District Police headquarters, Ghana Water Company Ltd, Electricity Company of Ghana, The District Magistrate Court, a viable Market center and two Public Senior High Schools already in existence there.

“Whereas the President has the discretion to decide where the municipal capital should be located, the decision to make Kukurantumi instead of Akyem Tafo was wrongful as same was done without recourse to the requirement that the capital must have essential infrastructure to allow for the smooth running of the assembly contrary to Article 296 of the 1992 constitution,” the injunction explained.

The respondents – Attorney General and Minister for Justice, the Local Government Minister and the East Akyem MCE, Owusu Twum Ampofo have been served.

The plaintiffs in their statement of claims pointed out that, out of the sixteen elected Assembly Members in the municipality, nine are from Akyem Tafo with only two from Akyem Kukurantumi. The Court will move the application on April 10,2018

The sitting of Kukurantumi as the Municipality capital for the newly created Abuakwa North Municipality has been saddled with protest by residents and traditional rulers of Akyem Tafo. Several petitions have been filed to the President, Local Government Minister and Parliament to withdraw the decision but to no avail.

Thousands of residents and traditional rulers at Akyem Tafo subsequently embarked on a demonstration over the same issue.