Trouble Brews At Volta

CREDIBLE INFORMATION gathered by the Gye Nyame Concord indicates that the controversial manner the newly created Adaklu-Anyigbe District Capital of the Volta Region was relocated from Adaklu Waya to Kpetoe has angered the people of Adaklu and could lead to a possible violence as attempts by the Volta Regional House of Chiefs to solve the problem has failed.

As a result, the chiefs and people of the Adaklu Traditional Area have vowed never to participate in the inauguration of Kpetoe as the District Capital of the newly created district.

The people are thus, appealing to the new Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to bring back the capital to Adaklu Waya without any further delay.

The Volta Regional House of Chiefs has already come out with a report condemning a third conflict which emanated after the initial location of the district capital was changed.

Again the House recommended that, government goes ahead to implement the Legislative Instrument (LI)1741 which cited the district capital at Adaklu Waya to prevent any future occurrence of conflicts in the region.

Sources say this rumpus began when in July, 2002, Government accepted the request to elevate Ho East District to a municipal status and was therefore earmarked for separation. A meeting was held in Ho afterwards where all the traditional leaders endorsed the choice of AdakluWaya as the capital of the new district which was to be created.

The Electoral Commission (EC) also after the constituency demarcations, recommended Adaklu Waya as the capital to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. In its report to the President, the ministry listed Adaklu Waya as the capital town and based on this, the President passed an Executive Instrument (EI9) to create the new district.

On Friday, February 27, last year, Legislative Instruments 1738/1788, with LI1741 citing the capital at Adaklu Waya was laid before the Parliament and was passed on June 25, the same year.

However, a new LI was printed with the same number and date but having Kpetoe as the capital. As this did not work, the capital was changed to Kpetoe under another instrument, LI1807, without any convincing reasons, contrary to the earlier decision.

A Divisional Chief of Adaklu Waya, Togbe Lablulu Tegbeza V, in an interview with this reporter said he was surprised and sad about this whole controversy.

He alleged that a kente gift given to the former Deputy Minister of Local Government, Hon Nkrabea Effah-Dartey by the people of Kpetoe sometime ago may have influenced the decision, especially since he was a classmate of Nene Keteku, the chief of Kpotoe.

He cited article 35 (6) (e) of the 1992 Constitution which states that, in the interest of national integration and the avoidance of discrimination, the state must take appropriate measures to ensure that whenever practicable, the headquarters of a government or public institution offering any service is situated in an area within any region, taking into account the resources and potentials of the region and area.

According to him the town has a modest infrastructure for economic take off and abundant resources for accelerated development. Also the assembly and the decentralized institutions have office accommodations as well as staff accommodations.

Adaklu Waya also boasts of a decent health centre, a secondary school and a source of potable water. The town has a market, post office, police station, a motorable road as well as electricity. The town also connects to all the three traditional areas and the regional capital and therefore it is centrally placed for easy reach from all parts of the