W/R chiefs deny involvement in Akufo-Addo statue: “Widespread insults have made us silent”

The Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove, Nana Akwasi Agyeman IV, has refuted claims made by the former Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, that the chiefs of the Western Region were behind the statue’s donation.

Speaking to a Takoradi-based radio station, Nana Akwasi Agyeman clarified that the chiefs neither initiated nor funded the project.

“Frankly, I promised not to comment on the statue issue because of the widespread insults we chiefs have suffered. I, Nana Akwasi Agyeman, can confirm that the statue was not done by the chiefs of the Western Region. It is never true. No chief contributed a pesewa towards its construction. If any chief contributed towards it, I’m yet to know,” he stated.

Nana Agyeman further emphasized that the matter was never discussed during meetings of the Western Region House of Chiefs, where he regularly attends.

“The chiefs never met as the House of Chiefs to discuss donating a statue to honour the then-President Nana Akufo-Addo,” he added.

The Paramount Chief also disclosed how he was ambushed into participating in the statue’s unveiling.

According to him, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah invited him and other chiefs to meet the former President during his thank-you tour at the GNAT Hall in Takoradi. There, they were unexpectedly taken to the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital and asked to help unveil the statue.

“We only received an invitation to attend the former President’s thank-you tour. It was there that Okyere Darko Mensah sent someone to inform me that he would like us to join them to present a gift of appreciation to the President, and so we would all go to Effia-Nkwanta Hospital,” he recounted.

“It was upon arriving there that I got to know it was a statue. I didn’t even know it was a statue. I was not the only Paramount Chief who went there; in fact, we were about seven. Again, it was there that I was told I would help the President unveil the statue. Honestly, I initially didn’t want to do it, but I was worried about creating a scene, so I kept quiet,” Nana Agyeman said.

The statue’s unveiling sparked widespread criticism from the public, many of whom viewed it as an affront to the region’s development struggles.

The backlash reached its peak on January 13, 2025, when the statue was toppled and destroyed by unknown individuals.

Critics pointed to the perceived minimal contributions of the Akufo-Addo administration to the Western Region’s development as a key reason for their outrage.

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