Western Region Chiefs deny knowledge of Akufo-Addo statue, call out Okyere Darko

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The Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove, Nana Akwasi Agyeman IV, has dismissed claims made by former Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, that the chiefs of the Western Region funded the controversial Akufo-Addo statue erected at the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi.

 

The statue, which was unveiled during former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s thank-you tour of the Western Region in November 2024, has sparked widespread controversy.

 

Speaking in an interview with a Takoradi-based radio station, Nana Agyeman clarified that he had no prior knowledge of the statue and was unexpectedly involved in its unveiling by Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah.

 

“I initially chose not to comment on this matter due to the backlash we chiefs have endured. However, I must state that the chiefs of the Western Region had no part in funding or commissioning this statue. No chief contributed even a pesewa toward its construction. If any chief did, I am unaware of it,” he stated.

 

He further explained that the matter was never discussed at any meeting of the Western Region House of Chiefs. “I attend almost all House of Chiefs meetings, and this issue was never raised or debated. The claim that we collectively funded the statue is completely false,” he added.

 

Nana Agyeman detailed how he was caught off guard and led to participate in the unveiling.

 

“We were simply invited to meet the former President at the GNAT Hall during his thank-you tour. While there, I was informed by Okyere Darko Mensah’s representative that we would be presenting a gift to the President at Effia-Nkwanta Hospital. Upon arrival, I realized the ‘gift’ was a statue.

 

“I was not the only Paramount Chief present; there were about seven of us. It was only at that moment that I was informed I would help unveil the statue. They even gave me a chair near the former President to sit on,” he explained.

 

He admitted feeling reluctant but decided to go along to avoid creating a scene. “Honestly, I didn’t want to participate, but I kept quiet to avoid embarrassment. During the unveiling, I shared a few words of appreciation, referencing a time the former President visited me in the hospital in 2019. I spoke on my own behalf, not on behalf of the Western Region chiefs,” he clarified.

 

The statue, which had been a subject of public criticism for symbolizing misplaced priorities in the region, was vandalized by unknown individuals on January 13, 2025. Many residents saw the statue as an affront, citing limited development in the region during the former President’s tenure.

 

 

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