By Ewoenam Kpodo
Ho, Oct 15, GNA- Togbi Agbesi Awusu II, the Awadada of Anlo, has warned against chieftaincy divisions, declaring that Anlos must not betray the sacrifice of their forebears who survived the escape from Notsie.
Tradition holds that the Anlos who form part of Ewe people had to flee from Notsie where they were being held captive in a walled city due to altercation (resulting from a conspiracy which forced King Agorkorli to order the killing of his favourite son) between them and the king.
They devised a way to soften a portion of the wall, broke it and through it, walked backwards to freedom amidst drumming and dancing to misego/husago under the command and leadership of Togbi Tegli.
In an interview with Ghana News Agency, the Awadada said he reminded a Congress of Chiefs at Anloga convened to prepare for the 2026 Hogbetsotso Za (Festival) that “Our ancestors did not survive Notsie for us to divide ourselves.”
He said this year’s festival, themed “Anlo, Our Heritage and Our Values: Striving to Build One Ghana for a Better Tomorrow,” must serve as a catalyst for total reconciliation.
Togbi Awusu announced that the mini durbar, best described as dress rehearsal for the main festival durbar would be held on October 17 at Blemazado, a historic town he said “holds sacred significance,” to spread the cultural and economic benefits of Hogbetsotso Za across Anlo.
He disclosed that sacred cleansing rites, “Dufa kaka” (divination), have been performed and all desecrated and dilapidated shrines in Anloga repaired ahead of the festival launch at Eli Beach Resort, Tegbi.
On chieftaincy, the Awadada was blunt – greed, disregard for custom and needless litigation had left key stools vacant and weakened Anlo unity. To fix it, he announced mandatory registration of traditional priests with the Anlo Dukor Council to weed out charlatans, capacity building for priests in rites such as afa kaka and “nugbidodo” (reconciliation) and a new standardised installation form for adoption.
He also outdoored the newly completed astro turf park built by Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank, credited to Mr Sylvester Adinam Mensah, for youth development, and announced an upcoming conclave on the Anlo Dukor Educational Trust Fund to ensure “no brilliant but needy child is left behind.”
He praised the diaspora for living the maxim “Anlo kotsiklolo, naketi deka nɔ dzo me bi nu,” citing the inauguration of the Ewe Union of Norway (EWENOR) and the Council of Ewe Associations of North America (CEANA) congress in Washington.
The maxim, meaning, Anlo, the unified state, one firewood in the hearth is enough to cook a whole meal, a summation of the gallantry of Anlo warriors and statesmen facing overwhelming odds and still emerging successful, is used in modern contexts to inspire excellence, self-reliance, and unity – a reminder that one person’s spark can ignite a whole community.
Hogbetsotso Za, also known as Hogbeza is celebrated every first Saturday in November at Anloga the traditional and ritual capital of Anlo Dukor and is usually characterised by a display of rich tradition and culture with people treated to a variety of drumming and dancing, including the ever-popular “agbadza”, “atsia” and “misego” or “husego”, the incorporated dance style of the backward movement of the people during their exodus from Notsie.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Ewoenam Kpodo, GNA