Tension Brews Over Proposed Installation Of New Chief At Anyako

The Agbotadua of the Royal Badu Stool of Anyako in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region has appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, Awoamefia of the Anlo State, Torgbui Sri III as well as the Volta Regional House of Chiefs to immediately halt the proposed installation of one Paul Kofi Dogboe as a chief on the vacant Badu Stool.

According to Agbotadua Asafokla, the proposed enstoolment scheduled for Thursday, 7th September, 2023 at Anyako, is not only unacceptable and a subtle means to further deepen the already succession dispute in the Royal Badu family but also frowns on the laid-down customs and traditions of the chiefs and people of the Anlo State.

Addressing the media at Anyako over the weekend, Agbotadua Asafokla noted that experience over the years has shown that nobody can be nominated, selected, and installed as a chief without the consent of the entire royal family. He explained that a lot of the members or stakeholders of the Clevie Clan dotted around Keta, Anloga, Dzita, Klikor, and other areas are not aware of what is going on. ‘We are so concerned because chieftaincy matters are always causing trouble in Ghana’, he lamented.

Agbotadua Asafokla said in May, this year, he received a letter from the office of the Paramount Chief of Amugo-Wego Traditional Area, Dufia of Anyako-Konu, and the Head of the Bate Clan of Anlo, Togbi Tenge Dzokoto Gligui VII, urging the family to find a replacement for Torgbui Badu III who passed to eternity in 2006, before the end of July, 2023.

The Executive Committee of the Torgbui Badu family subsequently met Togbi Dzokoto Gligui’s Secretary, Hon. Wilson Kofi Bonuedi on the issue, according to Agbotadua Asafokla. He added that the meeting subsequently concluded or agreed that the two months’ notice for the Badu family was too short a time for resolving their succession disputes and that the Stool would continue to be listed as vacant with the understanding that there would not be any installation of a chief on the stool for this year (2023).

Agbotadua Asafokla who customarily is also the Deputy Chief of the Royal Badu Stool, said to his uttermost surprise, a letter was addressed to another group in the same family, accusing Togbi Tenge Dzokoto Gligui VII of allegedly assisting the group to install the said Paul Kofi Dogboe on the sane stool without the knowledge of the rest of the members of the family. He regretted that this unfortunate move was being unleashed on them despite letters to the office of Togbi Tenge Dzokoko Gligui VII, informing him about their succession challenges.

The Agbotadua maintained that it is wrong and unacceptable for anyone to think that going to the traditional council to pick a form and fill it out, automatically qualifies him to be installed as a chief for the rest of the family. According to him, whether the majority of the people who are against this decision are members of the male-related chief or not, is immaterial, because every family is comprised of both the male and female lineages and members of those lineages should and must have the responsibility and opportunity to decide who will be their chief. ‘Tradition has it that when there’s going to be the installation of a chief in any family, the male member should be the chief, and the Agbotadua, who is the supporting Deputy Chief, comes from the female lineage. That is the tradition of Anlo’, Agbotadua Asafokla emphasized.

Agbotadua Asafokla maintained that the Royal Badu family would not recognise and respect anyone imposed on the family as a chief, adding that it is also the responsibility of the Traditional Council to ensure that the candidate in question is an acceptable representation of the entire family including members of the clans and kingmakers. ‘We are against the Thursday installation. Our chiefs should not take us for granted. They should give us some respect’, Agbotadua Asafokla intimated.

A member of the Royal family and Interim Secretary to the Badu Royal Family, Mr. John Christoph Kwaku Harlley pledged his support to the Agbotadua, describing the recent turn of events as not only unfortunate but also very disturbing.

Mr. Harlley also added his voice to that of Agbotadua in calling on the security services to act swiftly and not wait for the situation to degenerate into something else before they take any action.

Paramount Chief of the Amugo-Wego Traditional Area and Dufia of Anyako-Konu, Togbi Tenge Dzokoto Gligui VII has not been available for his comments. A source close to him however told our newsteam that all the allegations being levelled against Togbi Tenge Dzokoto Gligui VII by Agbotadua Asafokla are baseless.

According to him, the Secretariat of the Paramount Chief only sold forms to the said Paul Kofi Dogboe of the Badu Royal Stool, who subsequently met the requirement in filling the forms. This, the source said has been the norm.

He maintained that Togbi Tenge Dzokoto Gligui VII is not interested in installing any chief for any clan or family at Anyako. “The duty or responsibility of a chief, he pointed out, is for the stool family members themselves, adding that installation of chiefs in the Anlo State is purely for the clans.

‘The office of the Dufia of Anyao-Konu has no hand either in the selection or in supporting anybody to become a chief; the paramountcy or secretariat only facilitated the documentation process as has always been the situation for prospective and qualified clan persons wanting to be chiefs’, the source maintained
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The source described the position taken by Agbotadua in the matter as strange, adding that he is wondering what the Agbotadua wants to achieve in such a straightforward matter he has no business championing and pursuing.