President pays tribute to Togbe Addai Kwasi of Awudome

Awudome-Anyirawase (V/R), Sept. 6, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor, on Saturday urged Kingmakers of the Awudome Traditional Area to give their late Paramount Chief, Togbe Addai Kwasi XI, a fitting memorial by selecting and installing a successor in absolute peace.

He said this in a message delivered on his behalf by Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Private Sector Development during the Burial Service of the late Chief at Awudome-Anyirawase.

"Select an equally great and forward looking Paramount Chief on his own merit; because he deserves to be selected as a tribute to him", the President said.

He expressed regret at the chieftaincy crisis in the Dagbon, where, "brothers and sisters are attacking brothers and sisters and indeed brothers and sisters kill brothers and sisters", saying Chieftaincy disputes are major threats to peace and stability in the country. President Kufuor praised the late Togbega Addai Kwasi for his worthy contributions to the work of the National House of Chiefs and the development of his traditional area, saying the Tsito Awudome Secondary Technical will remain a monument to his memory.

Mr Bartels who led the government delegation comprising Miss Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State for Tertiary Education, Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, his deputy, donated 6 million cedis and a carton of schnapps to the bereaved family on behalf of President Kufuor.

Togbe Addai Kwasi, who died at the age of 70 about 20 months ago, was known in private life as Emmanuel Kwamla Hodanu.

According to his biography he was "first appointed 'Mankrado' of Awudome-Anyirawase in 1959 and subsequently installed as Togbega of Awudome Traditional Area in 1973".

The late chief worked as a teacher and a Human Resource Personnel of the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) between 1952 and 1974 before returning to devote the rest of his life to the development of his traditional area.

Tributes by the Awudome Traditional Council, the Regional and the National House of Chiefs and his family, underscored his astute statesmanship, devotion to duty, calm disposition and contribution to his family and the traditional area.

Right Reverend Livingstone Komla Buama, Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, Ghana, in a sermon said the African attitude of refusing to heed the cries of the living for help only to scramble to honour them with expensive funerals was hypocritical and unchristian.

He called on Christians, like Saint Paul, to break from their old ways of vindictiveness and turn on a new life of fellow feeling and love for one another. 06 Sept. 03