The Lolobi Traditional Council in the Volta region has said it is neither for nor against the creation of the Oti Region.

In a statement, the Paramount Chief of Lolobi Traditional Area, Nana Akoto Masakyi III stated that: “The people of Lolobi Traditional Area have not joined the petitioners nor have we sought to associate ourselves with the petition for the creation of the Oti Region out of the Volta Region”.

There have been reports that the chiefs and elders have been part of meetings in relation to the new region which will be carved out of the Volta Region but Nana Akoto Masakyi III emphasised that he has not participated in any discussions of that sort.

He added that his sub chiefs and elders “have neither participated in any meeting nor have we sanctioned or signed any petition for or against the creation of any new region”.

Furthermore, Nana Akoto Masakyi III added that: “In clear and unambiguous text, our position on the subject matter is that, we are neither for nor against the creation of a new region. We are part and parcel and will remain in the Hohoe Municipal Assembly”.

Below is the full petition:

The Chairman, Commission of Enquiry into the Creation of New Regions, Accra.

Dear Sir,

LOLOBI TRADITIONAL AREA HAS NOT ENDORSED THE PETITION TO CREATE OTI REGION

On behalf of myself, my sub chiefs and the entire citizenry of the Lolobi Traditional Area, I, Nana Akoto Masakyi III, wish to state without any doubt that the people of Lolobi Traditional Area have not joined the petitioners nor have we sought to associate ourselves with the petition for the creation of the Oti Region out of the Volta Region.

It has become imperative for me to write to the Commission as a result of media reports making the rounds that the Lolobi Traditional Council has purportedly endorsed the petition championed by the Paramount Chief of the Krachi Traditional Area, Nana Mprah Besemuna, together with other Chiefs from eight (8) districts in the northern part of the Volta Region for the creation of the Oti Region.

Several media reports have come out highlighting the endorsement of the petition to create the ‘Oti Region’ to include Traditional Areas of Lolobi, Akpafu, Likpe and Santrokofi, which are currently located in the Hohoe Municipal Assembly. A Joy FM report on 22nd November 2017 titled; “Creation of Oti Region, chance has been given to petitioners: Nkonya, Kadjebi, Krachi, Lolobi, Likpe also to be considered”.

I however wish to emphasise that, I, Nana Akoto Masakyi III, the Paramount Chief of Lolobi Traditional Area, and my Sub chiefs and Elders have neither participated in any meeting nor have we sanctioned or signed any petition for or against the creation of any new region.

Indeed there has not been any formal invitation to the Lolobi Traditional Area to participate in these deliberations preceding the writing of the petition in quest for a new ‘Oti Region’.

We therefore consider media reports carried out in corroboration with some few individuals seeking to mislead and deceive the people of Lolobi as actions that indirectly undermine the authority and integrity of the Chiefs of the Lolobi Traditional Area.

Please find attached a report of the 20-member Technical Committee set up after a Town hall meeting to deliberate on the issue. The committee was made up of 16-members representing all the Clans of Lolobi Kumasi, Ashiambi and Huyeasem communities in addition to four (4) members from the diaspora (Citizens outside Lolobi). The Committee was tasked, amongst others, to hold wider consultations with all stakeholders and present a report that reflects the ‘true’ opinions/views of the people of Lolobi on the above subject.

The technical committee’s findings are summed up as follows: 1. The committee respects the democratic right of the petitioners irrespective of their ethnicity to request/demand the creation of a new region. The Lolobi citizenry however demands to know the original petitioners for the new region, minutes and venues of the various meetings organised, as well as copies, if any, of invitations or any official letters inviting Lolobi to such meetings. This exercise will confirm or dismiss the earlier claims constantly put on various media that Lolobi chiefs also petitioned the Minister of Regional Organization and Development for the creation of a new Region.

2. The committee strongly emphasises the position prescribed in the 1992 constitution; that it is only persons or groups who petition for a new region that should be considered as such. We wish to state emphatically that Lolobi Traditional Area was not represented in any preliminary discussions regarding the creation of a new region and that we have never petitioned for a new region. The Paramount Chief has not delegated any Sub Chief or any person under his jurisdiction to represent him or Lolobi in any meeting in respect of the creation of a new region. To date the Chiefs and people of Lolobi Traditional Area do not know the original petitioners, their identity, ethnicity or otherwise. It is our considered view that this clandestine lobby or strategy is in bad faith in all forms and must be condemned absolutely.

3. While the government has not yet organised any referendum as required by law to determine the will of the petitioners and the subsequent mapping or demarcation of the regions and districts; organisers of these secret meetings have already put into circulation brochures, logo and map of the said Oti Region and its districts. Agents have been deployed on a vote buying mission going round communities sharing T-Shirts and brochures to persuade people to vote ‘YES’ come referendum day. We condemn once more this unhealthy exercise that is tantamount to politicisation and polarisation of our society. Some people are also using this to settle personal scores with their perceived opponents. The committee unequivocally condemns this partisan approach, and advocates a civic educational approach that will offer the people the chance to independently weigh the pros and cons of the request before them. The committee also demands to know which person(s)/group(s) are behind the financing, production and distribution of the ‘Oti Region’ T-Shirts, brochures and other logistics. A lack of transparency and accountability have already started to surface within a future administrative and systemic structure before it is really actualised. These ‘FACELESS’ sponsors/financiers of the Oti region project are preparing to hijack the new region, if created. All they seek to do is in bad faith and will give birth to corrupt practises in the future if care is not taken. Our eyes must be wide open as corrupt practices are unfolding right from the onset.

4. Following from the above, the Lolobi Traditional Council and its citizens dissociate themselves from the signing or inclusion in any ‘official’ statement purported to have been authorised or blessed by us. Decisions or communiqués arrived at, at any of such unauthorised meetings or gatherings even with the participation of any sub chiefs are therefore null and void. The Overlord, Nana Akoto Masakyi III, has unequivocally stated on numerous occasions that he and the traditional authority has not delegated or assigned any Sub Chief to attend any meeting on the creation of the Oti Region. He further stresses that, no person, be it a Chief or an elder, can subvert the will of the people. The issue at stake must be analysed without any political colourization or affiliation focussing on the merits and demerits as they stand.

It is partly in opposition to the misconduct of the proponents of the creation of Oti Region who, constantly and calculatedly feed the news and social media with false information as to the endorsement of Oti Region by the Lolobi Traditional Council purposely to enrich their (Proponents or Supporters) arguments for the creation of the new region, that the Lolobi Traditional Council resolves to state our position.

In CLEAR and unambiguous text, our position on the subject matter is that, we are neither for nor against the creation of a new region. We are part and parcel and will remain in the Hohoe Municipal Assembly.

I wish to state in clear and uncertain terms that it is the attached findings and conclusions of the technical committee that represent the true position of the Chiefs and people of the Lolobi Traditional area and not what is being peddled in the media.

In sum, I also wish to state that Dr Obed Asamoah is neither a chief nor is he a citizen of Lolobi and therefore has no authority whatsoever to speak on behalf of Lolobi as was reported on the GhanaWeb 23rd January 2018 Edition.

We also want to put on record that, the proponents for the creation of the Oti region also on Saturday 20th of January 2018 without authorisation of the Overlord of Lolobi Traditional area, sent buses and conveyed people to and fro to the event centre at Nsuta, Jasikan district. We also condemn this act of insubordination and disrespect to the traditional authority.

Yours in the Service of Ghana

Nana Akoto Masakyi III, Paramount Chief of Lolobi Traditional Area.

Technical Report. Newspaper publication.

CC: 1. Hon. Bernice Adiku Heloo, MP Hohoe North Constituency. 2. Dr. Archibald Letsa, Regional Minister Volta; Ho. 3. The President, Volta Regional House of Chiefs; Ho. 4. The Municipal Chief Executive Officer, Hohoe Municipal Assembly; Hohoe.