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We won’t vote in 2016 polls if…Togbui Agama (II)

kencitymediagh
Jun 20, 2016
3 min read

Togbui Dotse Agama (II), Regent of Avega

The Regent of Avega Traditional Area in the Akatsi North in the Volta Region, Togbui Dotse Agama (II), says he and his subjects have planned not to participate in the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections if their road networks are not tarred.

Avega Traditional Area, which comprises 13 villages, according to Togbui Dotse Agama (II), has been neglected by successive governments despite participating in every voting exercise since 1992.

“We have been neglected for so many years so we have also decided that we will not participate in this year’s elections. We don’t want to see any ballot box or ballot papers in our villages. People elsewhere vote but for us we will not vote. We are not going to vote and I’m very serious about it,” he stated.

Togbui Agama (II) disclosed this in an interview with Oman FM on the sideline of a football game organized by Volta for Change, a pressure group which is campaigning for change in voting pattern among Voltarians on Saturday, June 18, 2016.

“When it is getting to the elections period you see the politicians trouping here. They come and they make a lot of promises but after we vote for them they don’t come here anymore,” he indicated.

According to him, they will only change their decision not to vote if the 19 km road that is connecting Avega and Ave Dakpa, the district capital is tarred before the elections are held.

He took swipe at the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for failing to initiative developmental projects in the area despite voting for the party in every general elections since 1992.

He noted that successive NDC administrations and their Members of Parliament have made promise upon promise to them to fix the road but they failed to do it.

“For the past 20 years we they have made several appeals for them to fix our roads but it has fallen on deaf years,” Togbui Agama (II) said.

He noted that when it rains the road becomes so terrible that drivers who ply the road from Ave Dakpa to their villages find it difficult to use.

“Whenever it rains you can never use the road to Akatsi. Our women cannot go to Akatsi to sell their goods because parts of the road get flooded. Sometimes three or four days and their goods will still be in the house,” he observed.

Togbui Agama, who expressed serious concern about the deplorable state of the road, said there are instances where pregnant women’s who were being rushed to Ave Dakpa hospital had die on the way because of the bad nature of the road.

He also touched on some other challenges confronting the Avega Traditional Area.

He said almost all the 13 villages are facing challenges with portable drinking.

He said although there are few borehole facilities available, it is not good for drinking because of it is salty.

This, he explained, has compelled majority of them to resort to buying of sachet water on daily basis.

Togbui Dotse Agama (II) also complained of lack of health facility in the area.

He told Oman News that the villages mobilized funds themselves and started the construction of a health post for the area but said while construction works was ongoing the Akatsi District Assembly asked them to stop because the plan was big.

He said the Assembly then promised to construct a Community Health Improvement Services (CHIPS) Compound for them.

However, he said, the project which was completed almost a year ago has been abandoned with weeds taken over the facility.

Godwin Setsofia

Addressing the gathering a communication member for Volta for Change, Godwin Setsofia told them that it was about time they change their vote patterns if Volta Region and Avega Traditional Area is to develop.

He argued that the entire Volta Region has been voting for the governing National Democratic Congress since 1992 yet the region cannot boast of any meaningful developments.

He called on Voltarians to vote against the NDC for failing the region.