Krobo youth: Akyea’s university comments divisive

A group of Krobo youth in the Eastern region has described statements made by Member of Parliament for Akyem Abuakwa South as unfortunate, divisive and tribalistic.

The MP, who spoke to Class News’ Ekow Annan in an exclusive interview during the week, bemoaned government’s decision to establish of the Environment University at Somanya instead of Abuakwa in the Eastern Region.

Supporting claims by the Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin ll, that government had sidelined the Akyem people, Mr Atta Akyea noted that population and other factors make Abuakwa the most appropriate place to have had the university.

Responding to the Abuakwa South legislator, the Organised Youth of Krobo said bringing development to an area should be national in character and not based on ethnicity, religion, economical status, race, or religion as propounded by the framers of the 1992 constitution.

“We are therefore at a loss as to why a legislator of his calibre who happens to be a lawyer would make such a reckless statement with the sole aim of denigrating Krobos as if we were not humans or Ghanaians.

“We call on Samuel Atta Akyea to, as a matter of urgency, render an unqualified apology to Krobos in the Eastern Region, in particular, and Ghana in general so the co-existence among the eleven paramountcies in the region can be strengthened and sustained,” the statement said.

Read full statement below:

ORGANIZED YOUTH OF KROBO

RE: ER UNIVERSITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN AKIM RATHER THAN SOMANYA

We, the Krobo Youth in the Eastern Region, are scandalised by a very unfortunate statement made by the Member of Parliament for Akyem Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, and subsequently carried by several media houses and online portals, to the effect that the public university being built in the Eastern Region by President John Dramani Mahama should have been sited in the Akyem area and not the proposed site at Somanya, a Krobo land.

Not only is his statement unfortunate, it is also divisive as well as tribalistic and has the potential of plunging the region and, by extension, our dear nation into tribal conflict.

His statement seems to reinforce an earlier statement by the Okyehene to the same effect which we did not consider responding because we gave the Okyehene the benefit of misrepresentation.

Hon Atta Akyea has in the past questioned why Koforidua (New Juaben) should be the capital of the Eastern Region and not Kyebi and we believe this continuous thought of Akyem Supremacy in a Republic does not augur well for coexistence especially when several Krobos have settled on Akyem lands and there are Akyems also settling and owning properties in Krobo lands.

Bringing development to an area should be national in character and not based on ethnicity, religion, economical status, race, or religion as propounded by the framers of the 1992 constitution.

We are therefore at a loss as to why a legislator of his calibre who happens to be a lawyer would make such a reckless statement with the sole aim of denigrating Krobos as if we are not humans or Ghanaians.

We call on Samuel Atta Akyea to as a matter of urgency, render an unqualified apology to Krobos in the Eastern Region in particular and Ghana in general so the co-existence among the eleven paramountcies in the region can be strengthened and sustained.

The Member of Parliament should also apologise to the President for questioning the wisdom in his decision to build the main campus of the proposed university at Somanya.

We also call on the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs to stamp its feet on this seemingly creeping tribally motivated hate speeches being made by prominent citizens from the Region.

We seize this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama for giving Krobos our fair share of the national cake. We believe we deserve it because we are Ghanaians just like others who also continue to enjoy massive infrastructure projects from your government.

The Youth of Krobo are peace-loving and will therefore do everything possible within our means to protect and maintain the peace and co-existence we are enjoying in the region, hence our call on the Member of Parliament to do the honourable thing.

Long live Ghana and the Eastern Region!!!

Signed
Evans Serenyame
(Convener)

Frank Agbenyo
(Secretary)

Samuel Paddy
(Operations Director)

Emmanuel Okrah
(Communications Director)