The people of Agave, after seventy-five years (75), came out in their numbers to celebrate a historic day in the life of the state.
On October 9th, 2024, the Traditional Council was inaugurated at Dabala in the South Tongu District.
Chairman of the Traditional Council, Godfred Agbesi Woyome expressed gratitude to all who played a part in seeing the establishment of the Traditional Council.
“This should have happened 75 years ago. Agave is a matured state. 1953 is when the Council building was built. Work began in 1945 but there was a little challenge and that challenge was what delayed this establishment leaving us behind others in this district” Woyome remarked.
The traditional area has the largest number of clans (16) in South Tongu District.
However, remarks from all quarters of authority in the Traditional Council suggests there are deep cracks that need deliberate and swift actions to bring sanity within the Agave Traditional Council.
The first indication began with the Registrar of the Volta Regional House Of Chiefs, Mr. Attipoe “We are not here today to sit over any chieftaincy matters. Neither are we here to adjudicate matters within the Traditional Council” he said.
The Registrar added that ‘the ceremony was a Constitutional exercise. He made reference to the Chieftaincy Act, Section 12, 2008, where it is stated that for every paramountcy there shall be a Traditional Council. Therefore the occasion ‘is backed by law and not the personal plan of anyone’.
“After the establishment of the Traditional Council, it shall not be the personal property of any Chief. It is for the people of Agave. If there is any Chief or anyone who is against this occasion and stands against it, note that that person is a nation wrecker. That person or such people don’t want the progress of the Agave state” the Registrar of the Volta Regional House of Chief remarked.
Member of Parliament for Tongu South,Hon. Kwabena Mensah Woyome , brother of Godfred Agbesi Woyome, expressed excitement for the ‘rebirth of the Agave state’.
“It has been our dream to establish a Traditional Council and today it has been fulfilled. I pray us to move in one spirit, with one mind for us to be able to propel the development of the Agave state. Today should be the beginning to the end of all litigation. This rebirth will bring to us a lot of development”.
In an interview with some Chiefs on the Council, the Chiefs welcomed the inauguration. One of the Chiefs, Togbe Abordor VIII – Divisional Chief and Head of the Anyigbe Clan asserted that “the inauguration of this Traditional Council is an exciting achievement for us and this elevates us to a higher level amongst Chiefs in Ghana”.
Togbe Abordor VIII added one good thing about the inauguration of the Traditional Council: ‘some petty issues and matters that need urgent attention will be resolved faster and amicably at the Traditional Council level’.
He also calls on the Government to come to their support, “We appreciate the help of the government in helping us set up the Traditional Council, but the government should not stop here. It must extend support to the council for us to see development for our people”.
But some could not hide their dissatisfaction with challenges which have hindered the growth of the Agave Traditional Area.
Togbe Yelu Keteni VI – Front Wing Chief of Agave and ‘Owner’ of the Paramount Stool, in as much as he was thankful to the spirits of their ancestors for allowing such a historic event to occur wants to see more done.
‘Our forefathers have helped us in the spirit to fulfil what many have struggled with. Even though some individuals had ulterior motives, their plans didn’t materialise’.
“Though there are some personal differences we welcome the establishment of the Traditional Council and it has come to stay and it is not for an individual, and no one can own it for themselves” said Togbe Keteni VII .
Togbe Keteni VII emphasised on the need for collaboration and for the right processes to be followed for the smooth running of Agave state.
He stressed that “As the Owner of the Paramount Stool, there are a lot of pressing issues at my doorstep. The establishment of the Traditional Council makes it easier for us to adjudicate critical matters at the local level.
And we don’t want a situation where some people will bypass the right procedure, truncate justice and want to silence victims; that cannot work. We want Agave to move forward and we are not interested in projecting our individual selves” Togbe Keteni VII added.
The Paramount Chief of Agave Traditional Council, Togbega Xedihor Hlitabo IV in his closing remarks expressed profound gratitude to many and especially Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome for supporting him in their quest to establish the Traditional Council.
But Togbega Xedihor Hlitabo IV, whose identity in private life has been a major issue, sent a stern warning to anyone ‘who thinks he/she is rich and therefore can use force to take other people’s resources, the Traditional Council will not allow that to happen’. He is known in private life as Prince Kofi Adiabo, Edward Allan Agbeti, and Edward Agbeti.
He added that, ‘As the President of the Traditional Council, the truth shall prevail and any matter that comes to the Traditional Council will not be held in secrecy. I would seek permission from the Registrar so that we can make adjudications public because liars and nation wreckers have become too many amongst us, ….’
