Former Tourism Minister, Catherine Abelema Afeku is threatening to take legal action against the Nkosuohene of Axim, Nana Nkwantabisa, for impugning her integrity while interpreting the 2018 Auditor General’s report.
Ms. Afeku argues that the Nkosuohene in his interpretation of the 2018 Auditor General’s report, “vilified, embarrassed and disgraced” her and in so doing ended up injuring her reputation.
Per the Auditor General’s recently published 2018 report, an amount of 200,000 Ghana Cedis was misappropriated for Kundum and that the Chief Director of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture should ensure the money is refunded.
However, Ms. Afeku who was the Minister during that stated period claimed the money was used to pay artists who performed during the Kundum festival celebrations of Nsein, Axim, and Nkroful, an assertion denied by Nana Osei Nkwantabisa.
Nana Osei Nkwantabisa, the Development Chief of Lower Axim Traditional Council who doubles as the Chairman of the Axim Kundum Planning Committee in a press statement stated that the Tourism Ministry in 2018 supported the Axim Kundum celebration with GHC7,000 and not GHC200,000 as the AG’s report has disclosed.
Speaking on the back of this at Axim, the former Minister of state, Catharine Afeku insisted that the Nkosuohene referred to a non-existent report to make his claims.
“Did the statement mention a chief? Did the statement mention a palace? Did the report mention an Nkosuohene? Did the cheque mention a Chief, a stool? Did the statement mention a town? Humbly the answer is an emphatic no”.
Catherine Afeku
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She is, therefore, “challenging him; daring him to bring documents that show that an Nkosuohene, a Chief, a Palace was mentioned in the report and that my name, my good self was mentioned in the report with specific instructions that I should carry a cheque to a Chief or a Palace that I have not done”.
“I am daring him to bring that evidence, failure to do so, he will face legal action. Because he has brought major disrepute to the good people of Nzema including my good self”.
Catherine Afeku
The former Member of Parliament for Evalue Ajomoro Gwira Constituency insisted that the stated amount of GHS200,00 was indeed used on the celebration of Kundum festivals.
“The real question is, did Catherine Abelema Afeku transport, host, and support the Kundum festivals in 2018? Did the same Catherine Abelema Afeku transport and support artists to come to the Nzema area in 2018? Did Catherine Afeku collaborate with the brother Ellembelle MP to host, support artists to perform right in front of the original tomb of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in Nkroful? The answer is Yes. And you don’t do these activities with GHS200, 000”.
Catherine Afeku
That notwithstanding, the Nzema East Youth Forum is also calling on the Paramount Chief of Lower Axim Traditional Council, Awulae Attibrikusu II, to strip off the chieftaincy title on Nana Osei Nkwantabisa for disgracing Axim.
In a press statement issued by the Nzema East Youth Forum, its Secretary, Isaac Gyabbin emphasized that the Axim Kundum Committee was not cited in the AG’s report.
Isaac Gyabbin also cleared that those artists who performed during the 2018 Axim Kundum Festival were not sponsored by the Axim Kundum Planning Committee but were sponsored by the former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Catherine Afeku.
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