Some people live by their stomachs – Togbe Afede on Paul Adom-Otchere’s ex-gratia assertions

Togbe Afede XIV, a former member of the Council of State, has expressed his displeasure with Paul Adom-remarks Otchere’s regarding his behaviour as a member of the Council.

According to the traditional monarch, the broadcaster’s claims regarding the number of meetings he attended as a member of the Council of State are false.

Contrary to Paul’s assertions, Togbe Afede indicated in an exclusive interview with Maxwell Agbagba of JoyNews on Thursday that he was an active participant in the Council of State during his tenure.

He also indicated that, although being worried by Paul’s words, he is not surprised because Paul has previously made similar remarks.

“He knew me intimately. It is odd that he, of all people, will be the one to criticize me; I will not go into further detail. However, why am I not shocked? Because he had previously performed a similar act. During my conflict with Agyapa, he offered an interview to the Minister of Finance in which he attempted to disparage me.
By implying that I was Ken-Ofori Atta’s employee. When I brought his attention, he apologized, stating that he was aware of my status as the company’s creator. I questioned why it was presented as if I was Ken Ofori-employee. Atta’s When we were discussing the referendum, which had to be cancelled, he attempted to criticize me once more. Togbe Afede elucidated.

Togbe Afede, paramount chief of the Asogli Traditional Area, added, “It is surprising that he of all people. When I say he of all people, he will understand why I say I didn’t anticipate that from him. Unfortunately, though, some people’s actions are dictated by their appetites. So, considering my recent experiences, I cannot say I am very surprised.

During an editorial on Tuesday’s edition of Good Evening Ghana, Mr. Adom-Otchere claimed, based on the facts at his disposal, that the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State and former President of the National House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede, attended only 16 percent of meetings during his tenure as a member of the Council of State.

Paul Adom-Otchere said that, out of a total of 242 meetings of the Council throughout the period, the paramount chief attended only 48, or 16 percent.
This disclosure was made by the experienced broadcaster while expressing his opinion on why Togbe Afede returned the ex-gratia that was paid to him.

Even if the action has been hailed on social media as a patriotic gesture, he does not comprehend the significance of the accolades bestowed upon the traditional leader.

According to Mr. Adom-Otchere, the payment of ex-gratia to Article 71 office holders is enshrined in the Constitution of 1992, hence it was deceitful for Togbe Afede to return his in a manner that gave the impression that he was incorruptible.

Since a result, the host of Good Evening Ghana criticized Togbe Afede and advised the audience to stop celebrating him, as the return of his ex-gratia does not place him on a “moral high ground.”
Togbe Afede emphasized in an exclusive interview with JoyNews that he was not comfortable with the 365,000 extra-gratis payment he received for serving on the Council of State from 2017 to 2020.

In his clarification, he emphasized that he received his monthly pay and other perks while serving on the Council, therefore the ex-gratia was unnecessary.

Togbe Afede said that serving on the Council of State is primarily a part-time position that should not be accompanied by such astronomical retirement benefits.

The Asogli State Council has likewise disregarded the assertions of Paul Adom-Otchere.
Wednesday, in reaction to Mr. Adom-remarks, Otchere’s the Asogli State Council emphasized in a letter that Paul had misled about the number of meetings the traditional leader attended while serving on the Council.

The letter also disputed rumors that Togbe Afede had received money while serving on the Council.

This is the content of the letter, which was captioned “Paul Adom-Otchere lied”

“Our attention has been attracted to remarks and allegations made by one Paul Adom Otchere during his Good Evening Ghana program on Metro TV on June 7, 2022, while discussing Togbe Afede XIV’s rejection of Ex Gratia payments granted to him.
Knowing who Paul Adom-Otchere is, we would not normally respond to his remarks. However, while we consider a more appropriate response, we cannot disregard the specific claims he has made.

1. The data supplied by Paul Adom-Otchere regarding Togbe’s attendance at meetings of the Council of State are both inaccurate and deceptive; they are an attempt to disparage Togbe’s performance on the Council. We dare him to produce the attendance register from which he calculated his numbers so that everyone can see the truth.”

The Asogli State continued its explanation by stating, “The Council had three committees, one of which Togbe presided over: the Economy and Special Development Initiatives Committee.” And Togbe had a great attendance record at plenary meetings.”