A Sunyani-based entrepreneur, Ransford Antwi, has described the inability or unwillingness of the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, to meet the leadership of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs over a petition they sought to present to him, as unfortunate and in bad taste.

According to Mr. Antwi, who is one of the leaders of the Sunyani Deserves Better demonstration, attempts by the chiefs to have an audience with the President have proven futile, creating the impression that “the President respects other chiefs more than those in the Bono Region”.

He made the remarks in an interview with the media when he urged the President to be wary of ill advice from some people he described as “greedy, self-centered, and selfish politicians” who do not have the interest of the Region at heart.

He argued that as the father of the Nation, he expected the President to exhibit the highest standard of tolerance by availing himself to engage the chiefs within a reasonably short time.

“We are aware of how swiftly the President responds to other chiefs in the country. We respectfully plead with him to do the same for the chiefs of the Bono Region”, he stated.

Although leaders of the Sunyani Deserves Better demonstration have been tagged and vilified by some leading members and communicators of the New Patriotic Party in the Bono Region and beyond, he insists they remain defiant and would continue to fight until special attention is given to Sunyani in particular and the Bono Region as a whole.

“Instead of insulting us, I expect them to put pressure on their party leaders and the President to make things happen in our region”, he said.

Mr. Antwi further urged the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, to pull the necessary strings to ensure that the meeting between the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and the President becomes a reality so that their concerns would be looked at.

“Our Chiefs could have chosen to invite the President to the House, but out of respect decided to seek an audience with him”, he emphasized, adding that, “Leading 19 Paramount Chiefs from your Region to meet with the President shouldn’t be difficult for a Regional Minister”.

Mr. Antwi, however, expressed his confidence in the current leadership of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, who have within the short period of their leadership demonstrated their competence and love for the Region by embarking on developmental initiatives previously unheard of in the Region.

It would be recalled that people from all walks of life embarked on a peaceful but massive demonstration in the Bono Regional Capital, Sunyani, dubbed ‘Sunyani /Bono Deserves Better” in December 2021 to draw attention to the lack of development and stalled projects in Sunyani and the Bono Region.

The Vice President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Okokyeredom Sakyi Ako II, who said the development of Sunyani and the Bono region is also on their hearts, received the petition, which was to be passed through the chiefs to the President. It was later discussed at the House but attempts to meet with the President on the petition have not materialized.

According to the conveners, they have plans of replicating the demonstration in other key towns of the region.