News › Social News 16.01.2021

Avenor Traditional Council condemns injunction on Torgbui Korbadzi III of Gefia by Anlo Traditional Council

The Avenor Traditional Council presided over by Torgbui Dorglo Anuma VI, Paramount Chief and President of Avenor Traditional Council has rubbished the news of injunction of Torgbui Korbadzi III of Gefia by the Anlo Traditional Council.

A statement released by the Secretariat of Avenor Traditional council which and signed by Mr Raphael Ameku, secretary to the Avenor Traditional Council indicated that the decision by the Anlo Traditional Council should not be recognized and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

According to the statement, Gefia where Torgbui Korbadzi reigns, is under Avenor traditional council and out of the jurisdictions of Anlo traditional council they can not lay injunction on any chief within the Avenor traditional council.

The statement further explained that, the Avenor traditional council has equal powers under section 29(1) of the chieftaincy Act,2008(Act 759) which made it clear that a traditional Council has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine a cause or matter affecting chieftaincy within its area.

It was also indicated that, as a result, it is only the Avenor Traditional Council that has sole and exclusive jurisdiction and prerogative to adjudicate any cause or matter affecting chieftaincy in Avenor.

It continued that, any other member who might have presided at the meeting of the said judicial committee, ought to have any action is taken or orders made by the Anlo Traditional Council on any cause or matter affecting chieftaincy arising from Avenor and Gefia for that matter is ipso facto void for wants of jurisdiction and it is illicit, illegal, unlawful and has no legal effects or consequences.

Torgbui Dorglo Anumah VI, therefore condemned the publication and said it must be treated as such.

Below is the full statement from the Avenor Traditional Council:

AVENOR TRADITIONAL COUNCIL’S PRESS STATEMENT ON THE ANLO TRADITIONAL COUNCIL INJUNCTION ON THE KORBADZI STOOL OF GEFIA.

The attention of the Avenor Traditional Council presided over by the revered and highly esteemed Togbe Dorglo Anumah VI has been drawn to a malicious and malevolent publication in The Spectator (Vol.No.1445, page 5) dated Saturday, the 9 th day of January, 2021 on the subject matter above captioned.

The Avenor Traditional Council states unequivocally and in no uncertain terms that the content of the publication is baseless, vexatious, unmeritorious and unserious and should be treated by all well-meaning Ghanaians with the utmost contempt that it deserves.

Absolutely, the publication is outrageous and very preposterous and least expected from the Judicial Committee of the Anlo Traditional Council. The reasons are not farfetched. The members of the Judicial Committee of the Anlo Traditional Council knows or ought to have known that the Korbadzi stool at Gefia under reference is in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region of the Republic of Ghana under Avenor Traditional Area with a paramountcy and a Traditional Council that has a clear and distinct boundary and jurisdiction in cause or matters affecting chieftaincy in its area.

Further, it is trite that no paramountcy or Traditional Council is subservient to the other and no Traditional Council has jurisdiction over the other. By law, practice and procedure, the Judicial Committee of the Anlo Traditional Council has no jurisdiction in cause or matter affecting chieftaincy in Avenor Traditional Area and vice versa. It is the Judicial Committee of the Avenor Traditional Council that is clothed with the exclusive jurisdiction so to do in Avenor. The Judicial Committee of the Anlo Traditional Council cannot act like an Octopus stretching its tentacles to grab jurisdiction in a matter they must know that they do not have jurisdiction.

In fact, the issue of whether or not the Anlo Traditional Council has jurisdiction over Avenor Traditional Council has since long been determined and settled by the High Court, Ho presided over by His Lordship Justice N.C.A Agbevor, Court of Appeal Judge sitting as an additional High Court Judge in the Matter of the Republic Vrs Nicholas Kofi Negble & 4 others, Ex-Parte Mama Sotorgbe Avlegede & 5 others, suit No. E 10/6/2018 where the same Judicial Committee of Anlo Traditional Area ostensibly grants an injunction over a chief in Tetemale in Avenor Traditional Area under Avenor Traditional Council wanting jurisdiction just as in the instant case. The Court with specific reference to the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 Act 759, the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and judicial authorities held that the inauguration of Avenor Traditional Council made the Avenor Traditional Council independent of Anlo Traditional Council. As such, the Judicial Committee of the Anlo Traditional Council has no jurisdiction in the Cause or matters affecting Chieftaincy in Avenor.

It is, therefore, very absurd, bizarre and incongruous for the Judicial Committee of the Anlo Traditional Council to again disrespect the Avenor Traditional Council as by law established as well as the judgment of the High Court, the law and the judicial procedure and purport to have placed an injunction on Korbadzi Stool at Gefia within Avenor Traditional Area under Avenor Traditional Council which by law is independent of Anlo Traditional Council.

It is also observable that the injunction was pursuant to a petition erroneously filed before the Judicial Committee of the Anlo Traditional Council which lacks jurisdiction by Torgbui Kludzi III of Gefia, Zikpitor Simon Bedzra and Kennedy Kwami Kludzi against Torgbui Samlafo IV and others. We discern, recognize and detect that the action was brought in the alliance, cooperation and collaboration with Torgbui Samlafo IV who together with the petitioners must all know that they are in Avenor under Avenor Traditional Council which is independent of Anlo Traditional Council and must conduct and behave themselves as such. The unfortunate and ill-fated conduct at denigrating the Avenor Traditional Council by wrongly suing at Anlo Traditional Council is wrong and shall be treated with total disdain.

The Avenor Traditional Council would want the general public to note and understand that the Anlo Traditional Council lacks the requisite and mandatory jurisdictional capacity to determine any cause or matters affecting chieftaincy in Avenor inclusive of Gefia which falls squarely within the Avenor Traditional Area in accordance with Section 29(1) of the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759) which makes it clear that a Traditional Council has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine a cause or matter affecting chieftaincy within its area. As a result, it is only the Avenor Traditional Council that has sole and exclusive jurisdiction and prerogative to adjudicate any cause or matter affecting Chieftaincy in Avenor.

Consequently, Togbe Sri II, President of the Anlo Traditional Council, or any other member who might have presided at the meeting of the said Judicial committee, ought to have known that any action taken or orders made by the Anlo Traditional Council on any cause or matter affecting Chieftaincy arising from Avenor and Gefia for that matter is ipso facto void for wants of jurisdiction. It is illicit, illegal, unlawful and has no legal effect or consequence.

It is worthy to note that Togbui Kludzi III, the suitor herein following the due process was suspended by Togbe Dorglo Anumah V, the then Paramount Chief of the Avenor Traditional Area and President of the Avenor Traditional Council in 2006 for gross misconduct and insubordination leading to his name being subsequently annulled, expunged and cancelled from the Chiefs list of the Avenor Traditional Council.

The publication also mentioned Torgbui Samlafo IV, the first defendant as “Fiaga of Atsiame-Dukor”. A cursory check in the LI 2409, the new chieftaincy legislation that spells out traditional areas within the country or members of the various Regional Houses of Chiefs, can establish and attest to the fact that there is no such entity as “Atsiame-Dukor” and Anlo Traditional Council is expected to know of this. It is worthy to note that Togbui Samlafo IV and Togbui Kludzi III are persona non grata in the Avenor Traditional Council and Anlo Traditional Council must not be an outsider supporting them in any manner whatsoever calculated to undermine the peace and unity of the Avenor Traditional Council, nosedive and plunge it into conflict just like what happened at the Anlo a few years ago leading to loss of life and property.

It is therefore so sad and depressed that the Anlo Traditional Council had astonishingly allowed itself to be used by some disgruntled members of Avenor as a conduit to foment trouble and disunity and promote conflict at Avenor at this critical moment of our nation building where every effort are being made to position traditional institutions to promote peace unity, cohesion and development.

The Avenor Traditional Council will want to serve notice and notice is hereby given to the Anlo Traditional Council and all well-meaning Ghanaians that Togbui Korbadzi is the Dufia of Gefia in Akatsi South Municipality in Avenor Traditional Area under Avenor Traditional Council. Togbui Korbadzi III is a prominent member of the Avenor Traditional Council where he is accorded with all the privileges and rights deserving of the Korbadzi Stool. Any misguided attempt to disturb the peace, unity and tranquillity of Avenor and to plunge it into conflict and derail its development is bound to fail since it shall be fiercely resisted by the chiefs and the good people of Avenor. We plead with Anlo Traditional Council to respect the laws and leave Avenor alone in peace and unity and do the veracious thing. Many thanks for your time and attention.

DATED AT AVENORPEME THIS 13TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2021

BY AVENOR TRADITIONAL COUNCIL