Volta chiefs won’t comment on Anlo chieftaincy dispute

Togbega Gabusu VI, President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, on Tuesday said the House had deliberately refrained from making any comments on the Anlo chieftaincy dispute in order not to compromise its position as an adjudicating body on the issue.

"If it does, it will mean that the House has pre-judged the issues that will later on be filed with the Judicial Committee of the House."

This was contained in a press release issued by Togbega Gabusu with the authority of the Standing Committee of the House following criticisms by some sections of the media over the House's silence on the latest development in the Anlo chieftaincy dispute.

Togbega Gabusu said the House's Judicial Committee was the appropriate body to resolve the matter but it had been handicapped by the lack of Counsel for more than six years.

Togbega Gabusu, who is also the Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area, said the Volta Regional House of Chiefs had initiated moves since January 2007 to hire the services of a counsel that had been assigned to it since December 2006.

He explained that in a letter dated December 16, 2006, the Attorney-General notified the House that a suitable candidate to serve as its counsel had been found and recommended that the House should employ him.

Togbega Gabusu said on January 24, 2007, the Regional House notified the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture requesting that a letter of appointment be issued to that person. He said the letter of appointment was issued on October 18, 2007 for the person to start work from November 1, 2007.

He said all these processes were necessary because the House would not be paying that counsel's emoluments.

On allegations that he had refused to relinquish his Presidency of the House, Togbega Gabusu explained that the election to find his successor was blocked by a writ filed in the Supreme Court by one Eddie Tetteh of Sakumono, Accra and served on the Electoral Commission, whose representative had gone to the House to conduct the elections.

"I think that, it is good, sometimes better to guide our tongues when making public statements, which involved distinguished personalities,” Togbega Gabusu advised.