By: Samuel Agbewode, Ho
The President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede VIX, has regretted that tribalism and separateness have once again raised their ugly heads in the run-up to this year's elections.

According to him, while politicians had the right to pursue power, 'they should remember that those who they aspire to lead also have the right to the peaceful enjoyment of their lives.'

Togbe Afede said chiefs in the region had received with disgust the alleged call by the Member of Parliament for Assin North, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, for the extermination of Ewes and Gas living in the Ashanti Region.

He noted that like all other Ghanaians, the people of the Volta and Greater Accra regions desired progress that brings hope for the future, which could only be possible in an atmosphere of peace and unity.

In a press statement issued at Ho yesterday, Togbe Afede said the commitment of Voltarians was to a united Ghana, to which the development of every part of the country was inextricably linked, and emphasised that peace and unity were prerequisites for development.

Togbe Afede pointed out that politics should not be an end in itself, but consistent with the 1992 Constitution, and should create 'a strong Ghana, by strengthening loyalty to the state, while reducing the appeal of tribal ethnicity.'

'And, in line with the nation's cultural policy, it should 'foster national unity among the diverse ethnic groups in the country, by promoting cultural interaction and inter-ethnic understanding, through programmes that create an enabling environment for development.'

He said the true democrats recognised that the desire to lead was not a matter of life and death, and called on Ghanaians to receive with skepticism politics that play on the forces that divide the people.

Togbe Afede urged Voltarians to stay calm, and to treat, what he described as the insignificant but supposedly honourable Mr. Agyapong's effusions, with the contempt it deserves.

According to him, the chiefs believed the utterances made by the MP were the expressions of his personal desires only, and the Volta Region would continue to be relevant in the nation's development, as it would remain part of a peaceful, indivisible Ghana.

'We believe that those who cannot be happy about the peaceful coexistence of our various ethnic groups do not belong here. We advise that they leave peace-loving Ghanaians alone, and go seek happiness outside the borders of Ghana,' he stressed.