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Opinions of Thursday, 3 November 2011

Columnist: Adzorvia Royal Clan Of Anlo

Adzorvia Royal Clan Of Anlo

Adzorvia Royal Clan Of Anlo

ADVERTISERS ANNOUNCEMENT

We the Clan Elders of the Royal Adzorvia Clan of Anlo wish to announce for the information of the general public and all peace loving people of Anlo that since Torgbi Adeladza II travelled to his ancestral home in 1998, a substantive Awoamefia is yet to be installed for the Anlo State. This unique and sacred process of nomination, installation and out-dooring of an Awoamefia had never been an entirely secret affair. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the process of nomination has been bedeviled with false claims of legibility and attempted usurpations amounting to regime change leading to unnecessary disputes, arbitrations and litigations at the Judicial Committee of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs and other Courts of the land since the year 2000. We would specifically like to remind all Anlos of the finding guilty and the imposition of fines in lieu of imprisonment on Mr. Patrick Agboba and some of his associates in the contempt of Court case by the Ho High Court presided over by Justice Akpaloo on November 26, 2003.

We would therefore wish to inform lovers of peace, and especially the Clan Elders, the Chiefs, Dumegawo and all Anlo citizens that what happened on 21st February, 2011, purported to be an out-dooring of the same Mr. Patrick Agboba as the Awoamefia of Anlo was an illegal act which has resulted in another contempt of Court charge currently at an Accra Fast Track High Court, details of which are contained in the Daily Graphic publication of June 9 2011, pages 30 and 31. Despite the fact that this case is still sub judice, Mr. Patrick Agboba continues to hold himself out as the Awoamefia of Anlo, with the support of some Anlos who do not appear to understand the issues at stake and some Chiefs who would not tolerate this type of action if it were to be committed against their own Stools. We the Clan Elders wish to point out that the cases on the purported installation and out-dooring are still pending at Courts of Competent Jurisdiction and NOT with Jubilee Radio at Keta, nor the Press. Anyone who allows himself or herself to be misled by propaganda emanating from these sources to take any illegal action should be prepared for the consequences of such action.

The issue at stake is not that of personalities. It is an issue of principle, i.e., whether or not Mr. Patrick Agboba is a descendant along the male line of Awoamefia Nditsi through his grandson Awoamefia Atsiasa as being claimed by him. Without the resolution of this issue all claims of enstoolment, installation and out-dooring of him as an Awoamefia of Anlo, whether correctly carried out or not, are null and void, i.e., ultra vires, and cannot be accepted as a fait accompli as being claimed in some circles. It is an abomination in Anlo custom to enstool and out-door an un-entitled person on any stool, except it is a “hozikpi”, that is, a wealth stool, which the Awoamezi is NOT. We refuse strenuously to be a party to any abomination of that nature.

HOGBETSOTSOZA On the issue of the celebration of the Hogbetsotsoza we would like to take this opportunity to make our position clear. It would be recalled that Torgbi Tamakloe IV presided over the celebration of this festival after the journey of Torgbi Adeledza II and that the Awadada Torgbi Agbesi Awusu II continued after his installation. The celebration of this festival in the year 2003 was stopped as a result of an attempt by a group led by Torgbi Addo VIII of Klikor to place a Court injunction on it. The Awadada subsequently refused to revive these celebrations in subsequent years, despite appeals from many well meaning citizens, chiefs and elders as well as the youth of Anlo to do so. His refusal to celebrate it in 2009 even brought a lot of open confrontation between him and the planning committee in 2009. As a protest, some youth paraded themselves on the Hogbe Park on the festival day that year. We at this point painfully recall the unfortunate deaths, destruction of properties and Police assaults of November 2007 when Mr Nyonyo Agboada tried the second time to celebrate the Hogbeza. The victims of those brutalities who are alive are still suffering on their own without much support.

We the Clan Elders who supported the Awadada in his litigations against Torgbui Addo VIII, Nyonyo and others, do not even NOW have any intention of denying the people of Anlo any chance of celebrating the long awaited Hogbetsotsoza with its enjoyable activities if it pleases him to do so with the prospect of the many rumored development projects which those planning the festival are claiming would accrue from it. What we would object to is the involvement of Mr. Patrick Agboba to use the celebration of this festival to parade himself as the Awoamefia of Anlo, thus further ignoring the fact that the cases in connection with his eligibility, nomination, purported installation and out-dooring are still, sub judice; that is, before Courts of competent jurisdiction. We would be compelled to take further action should he be involved in anyway.

We end by urging the NDC government to maintain law and order in Anlo by desisting from subverting the law courts through provision of security for people charged before the courts to carry out further illegal actions.

LONG LIVE GHANA, LONG LIVE ANLO, LONG LIVE THE HOGBETSOTSOZA OF THE CHIEFS AND THE PEOPLE OF ANLO.

Signed:

Mr Andrews Atsu Korkor, Col Courage Togobo, Mr Seth Goza, Mr Simon Gada and Mr Wisdom Sadika