Thousands pay last respects to Osie Adja Tekpor

Vane, (V/R), Nov. 19, GNA- Vane, the Paramount seat of the mountainous Avatime traditional area burst its seams on Saturday as thousands of Ghanaians converged there to pay their last respects to the late Togbe Adja Tekpor VI, the Osie of Avatime.

The chain of mountains overlooking Vane were very much part of the occasion as they boomed out the solemn messages from the throbbing drums, horns and the booming cannons to the outlying communities. The late Paramount Chief, who had a distinguished public life was given a state burial graced by the presence of President John Agyekum Kufuor, which presence was described by Okusie Akyem Foli VI, Senior Divisional Chief of Avatime as a mark of respect and a fatherly gesture. "Your labour of love and solidarity shall never be in vain", Okusie Akyem Foli said.

Other state dignitaries who graced the occasion included the Speaker of Parliament Mr Ebenezer Sakyi-Hughes, Odeneho Gyapong Ababio II, President of the National House of Chiefs, Togbega Gabusu VI, President, Volta region House of Chiefs, Parliamentarians, Ministers of State, Chiefs, members of the diplomatic Corps and a delegation from the Asantehene.

In a short tribute read on his behalf by Mr S.K. Boafo, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, President Kufuor described the late Osie Adja Tekpor as "obviously a born leader, he took to service so naturally that his influence spread far and beyond his traditional area to the rest of the country".

That his "wise counselling and diverse services to the nation and community depict him as a man of many parts".

Odeneho Gyapong Ababio also described the late Adja Tekpor as a wise counsellor and one of the Chiefs to whom the National House of Chiefs owed its birth.

Togbega Gabusu on his part said the late Paramount Chief might not be liked by many of his own people but his sterling leadership qualities brought honour to the Avatime traditional area and the Volta region. He said Osie Adja Tekpor was the first Chief from the Volta region to have reached the pinnacle of the Chieftaincy institution in the country by becoming President of the National House of Chiefs.

Togbega Gabusu also said it was through his late Adja Tekpor's instrumentality that the Volta Region House of Chiefs came into being. Born in 1927 as Samuel Kwami Adobor, the late Osie Adja Tekpor was enstoolled when he was 25 years old and died in 2004 after ruling for 46 years.

He taught at the E.P Training Amedzofe in 1968 and became the Headmaster of the Kpedze Secondary school from 1962 to 1966. In the meantime the government has decided to make 250 million cedis available for the completion of the community centre project initiated by the late Osie Adja Tekpor at Vane in addition to a donation of 50 bags of cement.

Announcing the package, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister said a further 192.2 million cedis was given "in lieu of an actual State burial", and 20 million cedis, a carton of foreign schnapps, 10 crates of Guinness five cartons of beer and assorted soft drinks as funeral donations to the bereaved family.