Nzema youth slam Chief over breakaway comments

Some youth from Nzema in the Western region are up in arms against their Chief over his recent outbursts.

Awulae Anor Adjaye recently threatened to declare allegiance to Cote d’Ivoire if government fails to approve their request for a 10 percent share of the oil revenue.

Adjaye is also waging a crusade for prolonged protest over government’s failure to fix the power crisis.

But the Nzema youth have disassociated themselves from their Chief’s comments.

In a statement, the youth called on the Mahama-led administration to ignore the comments by Awulae Annor Adjei and continue with their work.

Below is the full statement by the Nzema Youth

Concerned Nzema Youth

WE ARE PROUD GHANAIANS!!! AWULAE ANNOR ADJEI MUST SHUT UP - NZEMA YOUTH

We have been monitoring recent utterances by one of the renowned traditional leaders of our land, Awulae Annor Adjei of the Western Nzema Traditional Area and believe strongly that the earlier we drew his attention to the wrong path that he has taken, the better the future of Nzemaland and its people, especially the youth.

Awulae Annor Adjei at a function organized by Occupy Ghana in Takoradi recently, is reported to have called on members of the group to stay on the streets for months, abstain from food and other necessities of life in demonstration against the government, in apparent reference to the recent dumsor vigil organized by some celebrities and other interest groups.

This readily brings to mind his earlier threat to government that the people of Western Nzema will declare their allegiance to Côte d’ Ivoire should the government fail to grant the request by the Western Regional House of Chiefs demanding ten percent (10%) of Ghana’s oil and gas revenue dedicated to the development of the Western Region.

A closer look at the posture adopted by Awulae Annor Adjei reveals the following: 1. In the latter instance, Awulae behaved as if he had the mandate of the people of Nzemaland to speak the way he did.

The timing of his message also reveals the diabolical intentions with which he issued the threat, knowing very well that Côte d’ Ivoire was then laying claim to the area where Ghana has made a lot of investments so far as the development of the Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntome (TEN) oil fields were concerned.

We would like to make it absolutely clear to Awulae that if he intends changing his citizenship, the rules and regulations are very clear. He is at liberty to migrate to Côte d’ Ivoire and become a citizen, but the people of Nzema are proud Ghanaians and will stand for Ghana always.

We are very much aware and the records are clear, the entire Nzemaland is a Ghanaian territory and it shall remain as such till Thy Kingdom come.

Awulae Annor Adjei does not speak for the people of Western Nzema.

2. Again, his call on the youth to stay on the streets smacks of hypocrisy at its highest peak. At least government has come out boldly to acknowledge the challenges in the power sector and has therefore outlined the measures being taken to salvage the situation both in the short and the long terms.

As an experienced chief, we believe he is better placed to understand that the chieftaincy institution is an embodiment of peace and development. Awulae should therefore recognize that inciting the youth to be on the streets for months and even years will not add a single megawatt to Ghana’s generation capacity, but would rather bring about chaos and anarchy, which are counterproductive and do not bring development.

We believe Awulae Annor Adjei would have done a great service to himself and the youth of Nzemaland if he had first involved the youth in his area in decisions relating to how Royalties accruing to the land, which he holds in trust for, and on behalf of the people, are disbursed and utilized, before accusing the government for marginalizing and ignoring the youth so far as governance of the country is concerned.

We would therefore like to use this opportunity to call on H.E President John Dramani Mahama and his government to ignore the comments by Awulae Annor Adjei and continue all the great things that he is doing for Nzemaland and mother Ghana.

Signed: Kwame Essuman Adu Spokesperson Concerned Nzema Youth