Togbe Afede XIV advices Veep.

Include graft in the campaign against indiscipline
Ho, March 12, GNA - Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State has called for the campaign against indiscipline to go beyond littering of the environment to the plunder of the financial resources of the State.

He said as termites devour wood until it was useless, people who steal from state coffers were eating at the very foundation of the State.

Togbe Afede said this when he sat in council at his palace on Saturday to receive Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who paid a courtesy call on him.

The Vice President is on a five-day duty tour of the Volta Region, which had already taken him to the Jasikan, Kadjebi, Nkwanta and Hohoe districts.

Togbe Afede expressed regrets about the acrimonious nature of the debate leading to the passing of the Representation of the People Amendment Bill (ROPAB), saying he thought the attitude to such important matters should be non-partisan.

He also expressed disappointment at the low representation of government appointees at events organized by the Asogli State, even though the chiefs had demonstrated enough goodwill towards the government.

Togbe Afede said government's statement of commitment to work with chiefs should go beyond lip service, observing that the paltry 240,000 cedis a quarter grant to the Asogli Tradtional Council did not reflect readiness of government to see chiefs as partners in development. Alhaji Mahama in his reply said every Ghanaian was a stakeholder in the fight against corruption, promising that government would facilitate the passing of the Whistle Blowers Bill, which was supposed to give some protection to informants.

He expressed concern about the attitude among Ghanaians to keep mute, while wrongdoing went on around them. The Vice President said the Peoples Representation Act was only meant to bring on line the many Ghanaians who lived and worked outside the country.

He said the process of implementation rested with the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC).

Vice President Mahama said government would not do anything to bring chaos onto the nation, promising that it (government) would continue to counsel people campaigning against enfranchising Ghanaians leaving outside the country, as happens in the older democracies and some African countries.

He announced that the 20 billion cedis provided by government to improve roads in the Ho Municipality this year would be increased to 40 billion cedis next year.

Vice President Mahama would also visit Agortime-Kpetoe in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District;

be guest at the Atsitoe za (festival) of the people of Avenors at Akatsi, interact with members of the Wheta Traditional Council and the chiefs and people of Sogakope.