Withdraw ‘NO’ decision on referendum – Ogyeahoho to House of Chiefs

The President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II has called on the National House of Chiefs to immediately withdraw the ‘No’ decision on the December 17th referendum.The Paramount Chief of Sefwi Ahwiaso Traditional Council said he was unhappy with the reaction of the president of the national house of Chief Togbe Afede XIV calling some of the colleagues as dishonest.

According to the paramount chief, it is never true that the House met on the issue.Speaking with Francis Abban on the Morning Starr, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II said, the leadership of the various Regional Houses of Chiefs were neither “informed” nor “consulted” about the National House of Chiefs’ decision to issue a statement rejecting the proposal of making local level elections partisan.

“I strongly want the National House of Chiefs to immediately withdraw it’s No decision on the December 17th referendum”, he said.A statement by the House of Chiefs declaring support for a ‘no vote’ in the December 17 referendum – on whether political parties should be involved in local level elections – claimed their position was on the advice of the legal committee of the House.

But speaking on the Morning Starr Monday, the chairman of the Committee denied the claim, saying they only raised concerns about the seeming marginalisation of chiefs in local development.

“We did not specifically advise a ‘NO VOTE’ to our colleagues. I’m contemplating an emergency meeting with my colleagues so we thrash this thing out. The memorandum made by the NHC to the Minister did not press for a ‘NO VOTE’. That is the fact,” he told host Francis Abban.