Govt Fingered In The Anlo Chieftaincy Dispute

It is alleged that in its quest to annex the parliamentary seat of the Anlo constituency, the NPP government is prepared to go all lengths to make sure that a non-royal but an associate of the President of the Republic of Ghana is imposed on the people of Anlo in the hope that he delivers the parliamentary seat to the NPP government considering the leverage chiefs wield in contemporary African democracies.

This is with total disregard for the traditions and customs that accompany the installation of chiefs among the Anlo Ewes of the Volta Region who are believed to have migrated from Notsie in the present day Benin.

In Ghana and elsewhere across the West African Sub-region, each traditional area is known to have a peculiar traditions and customs concerning the selection and installation of chiefs and Kings. The Ashantis who follow the traditional matrilineal custom of inheritance follow that tradition to the hilt in the selection and installation of their chiefs and queenmothers. So are other traditional areas within Ghana and across the sub-region wherever chieftaincy is practiced.

It is in this regard that any foreign influence or interest which is in variance with the long standing traditions of selection and installation of a chief in any part of Ghana is fiercely resisted by the local people of that traditional area. The bald truth is that we have seen situation recurred in many parts of the country in recent times.

In the editorial of November 3, 2007 of the Daily Graphic, the editor noted: ‘the Anlo tragedy is not one of those misfortunes that strike without notice. The signs of it happening began showing many years ago and loomed large a few days before it erupted last Thursday’. The editor continued: ‘it is difficult to understand why those signals, including media warnings, were not picked by the appropriate security and intelligence agencies for counter-measures to be taken?’

The truth is that instead of the NPP government playing a neutral role and engendering the necessary platform for dialogue and mediation, they have rather become the Kingmakers for the Anlos and are moving heaven and earth to make sure that they impose the self-styled regent, Francis Nyonyo Agboada, on the people disregarding their longstanding traditions and customs.

The NPP government has consistently displayed its vested interest in making sure that the illegitimate personage laying claim to the stool is enstooled and outdoored

A few months ago when the elders and the Kingmakers of the Anlo traditional area assembled at Tsiame where they were supposed to hold a meeting, government sent soldiers fully armed with artilleries to harass them and chase them out of the meeting grounds.

Another classical example of government’s involvement was as plain as the nose on our faces when a day before the events that culminated in the bloodbath, the people of Anloga had managed to secure an injunction from the High Court in Ho to prevent the charlatans from performing the rights and holding themselves as Kingmakers and a chief, the police who are supposed to work hand-in-hand with the courts to enforce such orders were visibly providing a cordon around Nyonyo and his procession to the shrine for the performance of the rights instead of keeping peace and preventing Nyonyo’s party from proceeding with the rights.

This is exactly what angered the youth of the town to mobilize within a twinkle of an eye to also provide a ring around the shrine where the rituals were to take place.

The police in an attempt to break the ring shot into the unarmed youth killing two people instantly. This made the youth to run helter-skelter and in the ensuing melee the policeman was captured and murdered.

So the fact remains that the police shot into the unarmed crowd first.

The Anlo state has 36 towns and each has its chief. Anloga which is the paramouncy of the traditional area alone has 10 sub-chiefs. But interestingly, not even a single sub-chief from the paramouncy supports the charlatan. And only less than 10 of the 36 chiefs of the traditional area are visiting this mayhem on the traditional area to see Kufour’s wish being carried.

In fact, all these 10 chiefs are chiefs who have at recent times being having some clandestine meetings with the President and his Ministers or officials.

From all indications, it is now clear that the Anlos are not fighting Nyonyo, but the fight is between the NPP government and the people of Anlo.

Kufour should understand that it is not Nyonyo who would deliver the Anlo Parliamentary seat to the NPP as a chief. It is his good works and respect for the people that can win their hearts. Mr. Kufour, please go back to the drawing board and rethink your modus operandi. You are a complete disgrace to all peace loving people and you must leave Anlos alone immediately.

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