Nana Letsabi, legitimate Paramount Chief of Santrokofi

The Volta Regional House of Chiefs has dismissed an application brought before it by Opanin Kwame Akabua Adjei Dagadu, Head of the Dagadu Family of Santrokofi Gbodome, seeking a declaration that the installation of Nana Letsabi II as Paramount Chief of Santrokofi Traditional Area was illegitimate.

Attached to the application were seven others including Nana Simpim, Stool Father of the Baminklabi Clan; Opanin Odei Kwaku, Head of the Baminklabi Clan; Opanin Kwame Yito, Head of Bamubi Clan; all of Santrokofi Benua and the Santrokofi Traditional Council.

The rest are: Opanin Yaovi Oyate, Head of the Balormibi Clan; Opanin Ako, Head of Bakplembi Clan: Yao Abrampa, Head of Bakplembi Takala Clan, all of Santrokofi Bume.

The house said the application lacked merit since Nana Letsabi II, who was duly nominated, elected, enstooled and gazetted in 1977, had been accepted by all the five royal clans, which are entitled to the paramountcy on rotational basis.

The Judicial Committee of the House which adjudicated the case, therefore, awarded a cost of GH¢6,000.00 against the applicant.

The applicant, Opanin Dagadu, had appealed against the eight defendants' claim to the Santrokofi Paramount Stool on the grounds that none of the five royal clans of Benua and Bume were entitled to the stool on the grounds that in 1957 when the government set up a committee of enquiry into the paramountcy of the area, it was found to be at Gbodome.

According to the applicant, a letter dated April 26, 1957, and written by Nana Kwaku Otitiaku III, the Adontenhene of the Santrokofi Traditional Area and Chief of Santrokofi-Bume to Nana Atu Dagadu had shown that Nana Atu Dagadu was the Paramount Stool Father of Gbodome.

Mr Dagadu said because the stool father was located at Gbodome, it was their prerogative to nominate, elect and enstool a paramount chief for the traditional area.

"That whichever chief is enstooled as the paramount chief of the Santrokofi Traditional Area by the Dagadu Royal Family had to reside at Gbodome where the palace of the traditional area is located, in order to carry out its functions in accordance with the customary procedure and usages of the area", Opanin Dagadu stated in the application. Opanin Dagadu, therefore, appealed to the VRHC for redress.

The administration of the Governor-General of Southern Togoland had in 1952, appointed a five-member committee of enquiry into the chieftaincy matter in the area, under the chairmanship of Nana Kwaku Otitiaku III, Chief of Bume.

The committee's report in 1957, was that succession to the paramountcy was rotated  among the five royal clans of Bume and Benua. The report was subsequently upheld by the Governor-General and the confirmation gazetted. This action did not go down well with Nana Atu Dagadu at that time, hence he appealed to the Sole Commissioner.

Upon investigation, the appeal was also dismissed in 1958.

In compliance with the report, Nana Dansu ruled for 18 years and when he died, Nana Letsabi II of Benua was enstooled in 1977, based on the rotational system which had been accepted.

There was calm in the area during which period a member of the Dagadu family, Nana Kojo Teye Asamati I, who was enstooled as a sub-chief at Gbodome swore an oath of allegiance before Nana Letsabi II.

By Emmanuel Modey/Daily Graphic/Ghana