Western Region Chiefs Never Donated Akufo-Addo Statue - Nana Akwasi Agyeman IV
Western Region, Ghana - 25 Jan, 2025 - The Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove, Nana Akwasi Agyeman IV has denied claims that the region's traditional leaders donated a statue of former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Speaking to a local radio station, Nana Akwasi Agyeman revealed that he was unaware of the statue's existence and was only informed about it upon arrival at the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital, where it was erected. He claimed that Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, the former Western Regional Minister, had ambushed him into participating in the unveiling ceremony.
The chiefs of the Western Region never contributed to the statue's construction, Nana Akwasi Agyeman emphasized. He also stated that the House of Chiefs never discussed donating a statue to honor the former President.
“Frankly, I promised not to comment on the statue issue because of the widespread insults we chiefs have suffered. I, Nana Akwasi Agyeman, can confirm that the statue was not done by the chiefs of the Western Region.
“It is never true. No chief contributed a pesewa towards its construction. If any chief contributed towards it, I’m yet to know. The second fact is that the chiefs never met as the House of Chiefs to discuss donating a statue to honour the then-President Nana Akufo-Addo. I’m someone who attends almost every House of Chiefs meeting, and so I would have known, but it was never discussed,” he stated.
“We only received an invitation to attend the former President’s thank-you tour, and so we met him at the GNAT Hall. It was there that Okyere Darko Mensah sent someone to inform me that he would like us to join them to present a gift of appreciation to the president, and so we would all go to Effia-Nkwanta Hospital.
“It was upon arriving there that I got to know it was a statue. I didn’t even know it was a statue. I was not the only Paramount Chief who went there; in fact, we were about seven. Again, it was there that I was told I would help the President unveil the statue. They gave me a chair close to the former President to sit on.”
“Honestly, I initially didn’t want to do it, but I was worried about creating a scene, so I kept quiet. We went ahead to unveil it and were asked to say something in honour of the President. I remembered the President paid me a visit at the hospital when I was attacked in 2019, so I thanked him on my behalf and not on behalf of the chiefs of the Western Region,” he explained.
Source: Lead News Online
