By Ewoenam Kpodo, GNA
Alakple (V/R), April 3, GNA – Togbi Akwaah III, the Chief of Alakple and spokesperson for the Loafe Clan in Anlo, has advised other chiefs in the community to place Alakple’s development above chieftaincy titles.
He said the type of chieftaincy, kingship and leadership, which their forebears practiced and bequeathed to them, saw traditional leaders in the past played important roles, including ensuring the comfort of their subjects.
He said it had become even more important for chiefs to see to the welfare of their subjects in present times.
Togbi Akwaah, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a press conference, said the Anlo community had pressing development needs.
He said the community needed a second cycle institution, which would help facilitate the education of their children not just in Alakple, but the entire Kome-Shime area as well as good road network.
Togbi Akwaah said the old community clinic must be renovated and upgraded into a modern one to serve the health needs of the people, calling again for the training of the youth in agriculture, and fish farming, because water bodies abound here.
These developments, Togbi Akwaah said were necessary to attract and empower the youth (future leaders) economically, thereby halting their exodus from the area to Accra and elsewhere for greener pastures.
He prayed for unity among the leadership and people to propel Alakple’s development, charging the youth to play their part, because the unity of the community heavily depended on them.
The press conference organised by the kingmakers of Togbi Akwaah Royal Stool of Alakple among others, claimed the Alakple settlement was founded by the Loafe Clan ancestor Tsatsu Adzayi and his followers including Togbi Akwaah I, the occupant of the stool in 1772.
It also claimed the Ahafia and Ahafia family of Amey Clan (family of Togbi Zegu) had no chieftaincy title in the ancient days, but instead Awanyevi deity fetish priest title and that their enthronement was occasioned by the long absence of a successor to the Togbi Akwaah Royal Stool.
These claims were a rebuttal to April 2023 press statement released by Togbi Zegu which suspended the use of the name of Togbi Akwaah in any public announcements in Alakple and further stating, “We hereby commit ourselves to initiating processes to have the Akwaah stool removed from Alakple and Anlo land entirely.”
Some citizens during the question and answer segment of the event urged Togbi Akwaah to work together with other chiefs to ensure Alakple’s peace for development.
GNA