A group calling itself the Volta Youth Forum says it is displeased with the comment of the Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide about their chiefs.

In a statement, Tuesday signed by its national president, Daniel Ahiabor, said that they were appalled by the Deputy Minister's “admonition directed at our respected chiefs whose only crime was to join the masses of our people including some pastors, former presidents and distinguished members of our society in cautioning against some acts they, like others, consider unhealthy for the unity of our dear country”.

The group said Mr Hadzide should stop hiding under the cloak of political power to speak vile and dishonour his kinsmen.

The statement advised the former Deputy Sports Minister to take after his sector Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and some members of his government whose handling of national issues transcend party interest.

“Your utterances are courting bad press for your party and government. Your actions and utterances are reinforcing some negative perceptions,” the group said.

Their comments come after the Deputy Minister said on an Accra-based radio station on Monday that the National House of Chiefs should not allow itself to be misdirected by the opposition NDC.

This was in reaction to the president of the National House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV criticised government over the deployment of military personnel into parts of the country including the Volta Region.
 
Speaking during a tour by NDC flagbearer John Mahama, Togebe Afede XIV said the deployment is an unprecedented invasion.

But the Deputy Information Minister rebutted that the deployment into the Volta Region and several other parts of the country cannot be described as an invasion.

“I think that that is a very unfortunate characterisation. Maybe it is derived out of a lack of understanding or plain ignorance of what is underpinning this deployment,” he said.