By Ewoenam Kpodo
Ho, Oct 10, GNA- The Anlo Youth Council (AYC), the umbrella body of the youth of Anlo has called for unity among all the 36 states of Anlo Dukor (State) to guarantee its development.
It said the challenges facing the current generation, including economic hardship, cultural erosion, and youth unemployment demanded that the people “build bridges, not walls.”
The call was in response to a public statement by Torgbui Amenyo Degbedzanyi III, the Akormefia of the Aflao Traditional Area, denying any historic or constitutional relationship between Aflao and Anlo.
The statement said the people of Aflao did not migrate together with the Anlos from Notsie (in present day Togo) and that Aflao was a “sovereign and independent state, with a single compact settlement and seven divisions.”
In a press release, issued by Mr Kenneth Kpedor, the President, AYC and made available to Ghana News Agency, aimed to place the facts of history on record, said the Council called on the people of Aflao to refrain from inflammatory statements that distorted history and sow disunity.
It stressed the need for the people to recognise themselves as part of the bigger Anlo family, saying “The power of a unified Anlo is one of the greatest tools available to us in confronting the challenges of development.”
“When united, our cultural, intellectual, and economic resources become a formidable force capable of transforming our communities. But when divided, we sabotage ourselves and squander opportunities for progress.
Sadly, much of the disunity we see today has its roots in divisive tendencies planted by political regimes – exploiting our differences for short-term advantage while weakening our collective strength. We must rise above these manipulations and embrace our shared destiny as one Anlo family.”
The five-itemised release, said the Anlo Constitution, compiled and published in 1944, clearly lists Aflao as one of the constituents dukorwo of the Anlo Dukor; and the claim that Aflao’s ancestors migrated separately from the Dogbo and Anlo people, was contradictory to multiple scholarly works on Ewe history.
“Aflao’s founding lineages trace back to the same dispersal from Notsie as other Anlo divisions such as Klikor, Weta, Dzodze, and Afife. Genealogically and culturally, Aflao shares bloodlines, traditions, and sacred practices with the rest of Anlo.”
“… It is misleading to suggest that colonial ordinances merely grouped Aflao administratively with Anlo. Long before colonial intervention, Aflao was recognised within the orbit of Anlo authority.
“British administrative reports from the 19th century refer to Aflao and Denu as part of the Anlo coastal settlements. Colonial convenience did not create the Anlo State; it only restructured what already existed.
“We affirm, based on history, constitution, and practice, that Aflao is an integral part of Anlo. This truth cannot be erased by denial. At the same time, we respect the dignity and heritage of Aflao chiefs and people as part of the larger Anlo family,” the release further stated.
It concluded with a call to collectively honour the legacy of their forebears who together crossed the walls of Notsie, founded their towns, and built the heritage now being celebrated in Hogbetsotso (migratory festival of the Anlos).
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo