The Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, has expressed opposition to a proposal to amend Ghana’s Constitution to extend the presidential term from four to five years. According to the traditional leader, extending the presidential tenure could have serious implications for the country, particularly when a government fails to perform satisfactorily. He argued that citizens would be forced to endure the consequences of poor governance for an additional year.
Togbe Afede XIV made the remarks during the grand durbar of the 2026 Asogli Teza in Ho. The annual event provided an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the rich cultural heritage of the people of Asogli, as well as other traditional communities in Ghana and across the West African subregion.
In his address, Togbe Afede also highlighted ongoing efforts to reform the Asogli reorganisation frameworks to promote development in the area. He further shared his views on recent national developments, including the proposed extension of the presidential term and the government’s efforts to combat corruption and address economic challenges.
“We all saw the difficulties of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 in particular. And for me, the consequences that we experienced are the reasons why I am not in favour of extending the present term beyond four years. Because I could not imagine one more year of the kind of government we had at the time,” he said.
He commended the government for its efforts to fight inflation and praised initiatives aimed at tackling corruption. “I want to commend a government for these efforts and fighting inflation. I want to commend ORAL; I like it. I want to commend the work of EOCO, very important for our future, and I’m happy about the new Public Tribunals Act, intended to ensure expeditious prosecution of corrupt persons in particular,” Togbe Afede said.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff, Dr Julius Debrah, outlined the government’s development initiatives aimed at improving the living standards of citizens, particularly in the Volta Region. He said the government regarded the region as an important hub for production, tourism and trade, adding that this vision must be reflected in ongoing infrastructure projects.
“The government sees the Volta Region as an important centre for production, tourism and trade, and that vision must be visible in the work on the ground. Under the Big Push Programme, work is progressing on the reconstruction of the Anyirawase-Ho-Titrinu road,” he stated.
Dr Debrah also mentioned ongoing work on the Ho Guinness Depot-to-Ho Airport Second Gate section, the rehabilitation of the Ho-Kpetoe road and the reconstruction of the Have-Hohoe road. He added that other projects included the upgrading of internal access roads at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho Technical University and Mawuli Senior High School, as well as the construction of an overpass at Alayi.
“These are roads to farms, schools, hospitals, markets, and opportunities for all of us,” he added. The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ayariga, also announced ongoing reforms designed to strengthen Ghana’s chieftaincy institution and address succession-related disputes.
The 2026 Asogli Teza was held under the theme: “United in Purpose, Investing in People and Infrastructure for Sustainable National Development.”
