At its annual general meeting, the Volta House of Chiefs led by Togbe Afede XIV unanimously advised Voltarians to change voting patterns. In the House's opinion, the region had lacked behind in development due to "poor electoral choices in the past."



In the words of Osie Adzatekpor of the Avatime Traditional area, the region was no longer the "World Bank" but the "Rural Bank." The vice president of the House, Nana Soglo Allo of Likpe Traditional Area, also called on Voltarians to make "informed electoral choices" and not "World Bank choices" going forward.

A few weeks ago, when some Volta chiefs unconstitutionally and unsuccessfully tried to patch up the intra-party fight between President Mills and the PNDC chairman, no House member was part of the delegation; nor were members part of the "rented chiefs" who shamelessly visited Woyome in jail. Qualitatively, House members are to London Chelsea as the "rented chiefs" are to Berekum Chelsea.

So it was not surprising at all when the House enthusiastically convened an emergency meeting at the request of the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo - in light of recent developments. But should we be surprised at all by the House's position?



The Volta region, since independence, has been the most neglected region in the country. In 1981 when its favorite son took over the country and in 1992 when the favorite son won the election, the region saw some developmental improvements during those periods. But had it not been for a change in government in 2001, the Volta region would never had known what it had been missing nor its potential.



Like the blind that never understood or saw the benefit in seeing until his sight was restored -after all he used to get around alright with his walking stick- the NPP administration was an eye opener for the region.

From 2001 to 2008, the Volta region witnessed massive developments "unprecedented" in the history of the country. The resources spent on the Keta Sea defense alone, critics say, could have built three ultra modern universities.



Thus the region was expecting the Mills administration to continue from where the NPP left off. But once again, it has become the most neglected region in the country. In the past three and half years, Mills has visited the region less than five times. Last year for example, when the House of chiefs invited all political parties to a stakeholders meeting, Mills' P-ndc never bothered to send a representative.

Whereas the Central region got the lion’s share of this year's budget, the Volta region got the least. So far, the only tangible project in the region is the so called university that Mills claimed to have built. Yet this so called university- according to some disgruntled residents- is not even half the size of Mawuli Senior High School.



In an attempt to deceive the region, Mills has pointed to the fact that the University of Ghana had also started with one or two buildings. But this deceit obviously couldn't get pass an economist like Togbe Afede XIV, who evidently factored in the resources and the population of the country at the time of the building of Legon and KNUST- nowhere near the resources currently at Mills' disposal.



In fact, it is not only the Volta region that has not seen much under Mills. The whole country hasn't seen much since Mills took over in spite of the record borrowing, oil and the supposed 1 million tons of Cocoa. It is just that the Volta has seen the least- not to forget the insults have been rained on the founder by Mills' men.



Thus the Volta of House of Chiefs’' call to change voting patterns is not a call to Voltarians alone but an implicit call on Ghanaians in general to vote President Mills out of power come December 7.

AFTERWORD

....to the "cynics" especially..



Like the PNDC Chairman and wife, Sekou Nkrumah and MP Teye Nyaunu, the Volta House's lamentations do not mean - all of a sudden- they are no longer P-ndc. They are still P-ndc. They just want to get rid of the paralysis, incompetence and the woyomic corruption of Johm Evans Atta Mills' administration - for the betterment of the country. After all there are FONKAR candidates and "Team A" players on the bench.



Akwasi A.Afrifa Akoto.