The Member of Parliament for Katamanso, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, has denied being installed as a chief of Katamanso insisting that he has not breached the constitution.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kwame Baffoe had asserted that the MP is in contravention of the constitution as he remains a sitting MP after being installed a chief.
According to him, Hon. Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo can choose to resign as an MP and keep his position as a chief otherwise he’s in breach of Article 276 of the 1992 constitution which states that, “a chief shall not take part in active politics, and any chief wishing to do so must or shall abdicate his stool or skin.”
He said this was re- stated in section 57（3of the chieftaincy Act, Act 759 as amended.
Hon. Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo was in June 2017, was introduced as Caretaker Chief of Katamanso. He was nominated by the Head of Adwinwe Family of Katamanso, Mr Joseph Odai Laryea, to assist in playing the caretaker role following the incapacitation of his father, Nii Otu Akwate IX, who is the substantive Chief of Katamanso.
But Kwame Baffoe aka Abronye in a statement maintains that the MP has fallen foul of the law and in the aforesaid, “Parliament of Ghana through the Speaker of Parliament Prof Aron Mike Quaye is mandated to inform the Electoral Commission to organize a bye- elections at Kpone-Katamanso. Failure to do that, amounts to tarnishing the image of the 1992 constitution.”
However, reacting to the charge levelled against him in an interview with Kasapa News, Hon. Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo who described himself as a regent, said he can’t pass to be a chief recognized by law as he’s neither been gazzeted as a chief nor gone through the customary processes to become a chief, adding that he bears a no title.
“A town or an area should have a leader at all times. I’ve just been made a leader of the area so that for instance if there’s to be any developmental project to be carried out in the area, I’ll will have to direct where it should be cited. If by God’s grace the chief gets stronger and he comes back to occupy his rightful position, I’ll only remain an MP and discharge my duties accordingly.”
