Anlo regent to be sacked

The Anlo chieftaincy dispute took a new dimension yesterday, when a former president of the Ghana Bar Association, Mr. Sam Okudzeto, disclosed that he is initiating moves in order to get Torgbui Sri III, who is acting as Regent of Anlo, sacked from the Ghana Law School.

Mr. Okudzeto, who is a leading member of the Concerned Citizens of Anlo, the group fiercely opposed to Torgbui Sri III, alleged that, the Acting Regent presented fictitious documents in order to gain admission at the law school and therefore he is a fraudster.

According to Mr. Okudzeto, who is a senior lecturer at the Ghana Law School, he has consequently petitioned the Chief Justice over the issue and warned that if nothing happens, he will personally initiate moves to get Torgbui Sri III, who is also known as Francis Nyonyo Agboada, sacked from the law school.

Mr. Okudzeto wondered why someone like Torgbui Sri III, who has not attained a first degree, could get admission into a reputable institution like the Ghana Law School.

According to him, records available indicate that, Torgbui Sri has not attended all the secondary schools he claims to have attended. He added that records at the University of Ghana, the Keta Secondary School and the Atebubu Secondary Schools all show that Torgbui Sri III never attended those schools.

The spokesman for the group, Lawyer Chris Akume, took journalists through the succession of the Anlo throne for most part of the press conference. He explained that, the Adzorvia clan of Anlo is composed of three gates, namely Deti, Lagbati and Yorxoenu.

He explained that the tradition has always been that a successor to the throne is nominated from any of the three gates and must have support or concurrence of the two other gates. He however added that in the case of Torgbui Sri, it was only a section of the Agboada family led by Napoleon Agboada and which family belongs to the Yorxoenu gate, nominated Seth Lumorvi Atsitsogbui, who is also known as Francis Agboada as the regent.

According to Chris Akume, Torgbui Sri displayed utter disregard for the structure and laid down procedure of the chieftaincy Act, when he stated in a letter dated March 3rd 2003 and addressed to the Anlo Traditional Council that, by virtue of his regency, “it is obvious that until a substantive Awoamefia is nominated, elected and installed, I am acting president of the Anlo Traditional Council”.

He argued that, it was erroneous for Torgbui Sri to assume the presidency of the Anlo Traditional Council, when he is neither a chief nor a senior chief in the Council, adding the Chieftaincy Act has no room for Regents.