PRESIDENT AKUFFO-ADDO DISRESPECTS THE YAGBONWURA AGAIN—CALLS HIM A LIAR IN PUBLIC.

 By Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese 

(Youth Imam from Laribanga)

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Much ado about nothing—the best description to be ascribed to the visit of President Akuffo-Addo to the Jakpa palace today, 14th October, 2024. 

The President was at his usual self when he took a direct swipe at the Yagbonwura in the full glare of the public. The Yagbonwura's crime was just a harmless appeal he made to the President to admonish his appointees to desist from their incessant disrespect to him and the time-tested customs of the people of the Gonja Kingdom. 

In his speech, the Yagbonwura appealed to President Akuffo-Addo to speak to and caution some of his appointees who have been disrespecting him by using their political power to undermine the laid down customs and traditions of the Gonja Kingdom. 

The customs and traditions of the people of the Gonja Kingdom are clear so that, no subservient paramount chief in the Kingdom is allowed to celebrate Damba Festival before the Yagbonwura. It has never happened and it ought to have happened. In view of this, the Yagbonwura reported in his speech that some of his appointees aided and fully supported one of his sub-chiefs to celebrate the Damba festival before him, the Yagbonwura. This is in clear breach of the customs of the kingdom.

Indeed, the Yagbonwura indicated that the said appointee actually ordered and sent heavily armed military men to protect the said paramount chief to undertake such a sacrilegious act of undermining the Yagbonwura and the customs and traditions of the Gonja people.

What the said appointee is not aware of is that, a prominent paramount chief in Gonjaland had him on phone to confirm his complicity in this sacrilege (disrespect of the Yagbonwura) at the instance of an emissary of Yagbonwura. So, before Yagbonwura will come public with such information, he actually had his facts verified and doubled-checked.

As usual of the President, he did not only sound dismissive and defensive of his appointees, but he boldly told Yagbonwura his report is FALSE. The President indeed, said that as per the briefings he had from his Regional Minister, Hon Muhaz Saeed Jibril, no such incident happened in Gonjaland and that none of his appointees aided and abetted any such abominable act of the said paramount chief.

Angry for describing him a liar, Yagbonwura ordered for his vehicles to leave the durbar grounds while the President was still delivering his speech. True to it, the Yagbonwura left the durbar grounds while Akuffo-Addo was still delivering his empty speech. Akuffo-Addo even said he was not happy with the Yagbonwura for making such an information public. 

The empty speech of the President was deliberately written to attack Former President Mahama, which he truly did in a grand style. Yes, Akuffo-Addo really used that occasion and platform to insult and attack former President John Dramabi Mahama, a royal and warrior of the Gonja Kingdom.

At the end of the day, Yagbonwura walked out on Akuffo-Addo for calling him a liar in public. When we said President Akuffo-Addo and his appointees don’t respect chiefs and traditional authorities, this is actually the height of it. What the President doesn’t know is that the sons and grand sons of Ndewura Jakpa are a proud people and so we will never countenance disrespect in any form and not even from the President of the Republic. Kudos to the Yagbonwura for showing leadership and bravery one more time. The entire Kegbanye minus the NPP appointees in Gonjaland are proud of you, Jira Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale 1. May your reign be long.

Shalom!