Volta House of Chiefs has only five members… Agave Paramount Chief protests against convention

The Paramount Chief of the Agave Traditional Area, Togbe Asaxi Degenu III, has expressed regret that traditional areas in the Volta Region do not have traditional councils, and called for urgent measures to address the anomaly.

He said noted that situations where some of the traditional councils in the country were given recognition, whilst others are relegated to the background, because their paramount chiefs were not members of the Regional House of Chiefs, must be discouraged.

Togbe Asaxi Degenu raised the issue at a meeting of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, where the Paramount Chief of the Asogli Traditional area, Togbe Afede XIV, and Nana Alloh Sogloh III, were elected as President and Vice President of the Regional House of Chiefs respectively, in Ho.

He noted that in the North and South Tongu Districts, where he comes from, there were thirteen traditional areas, but none of them was recognised and given traditional council status, thus thwarting their development.

The Paramount Chief of the Agave Traditional Area explained that the earlier the anomaly was redressed, the better it would be for the chieftaincy institute.

He noted that because most of the traditional areas had been denied paramountcy, they usually sent their grievances to the National House of Chiefs for redress, which should not have been so.

He noted that the current development, where five paramount chiefs constitute the Regional House of Chiefs, was a ridicule of the chieftaincy institution.

Togbe Asaxi Degenu observed that it was unfortunate that the government, and other institutions, continued to call for peace and unity among the people, while at the same time planting seeds of disunity among the people, noting that before the chieftaincy institution could achieve any significant success, such negative practices must be stopped.

He commended President Kufuor for giving assent to the new chieftaincy bill, which would ensure that the National House of Chiefs gave due respect and recognition to paramount chiefs in the Regional House of Chiefs, instead of Parliament.

The immediate past President of the Regional House of Chiefs, Togbega Gabusu IV, thanked the members of the House for their cooperation during his seven year leadership, and urged the newly-elected President and Vice, to work hard towards the development of the House.

The new President, Togbe Afede, commended the members for the confidence reposed in them to lead the House, and pledged that they would work hard to project the activities of the House, and urged the chiefs to ensure that there was total peace in their areas, during and after the elections, since chiefs had a greater influence on the people.

The House also elected five members to represent the House at the national level. They are the Krachiwura, Nana Mprah Besemuna III, Togbe Delume of the Ve traditional area, Togbe Adai Kwasi Sekpe, Togbe Afede and Nana Sogloh Alloh.