Features
Is Aŋlɔ State under siege?
Torgbui-Sri-III
I might not have been born in my hometown of Anyako, but I spent 15 solid years from 1957 in the Aŋlɔ State attending basic and secondary schools.
During this period I learned the Ewe language and literature, our sojourn to our current location from the present Benue State of Nigeria through Ketu (also in Nigeria), Ŋɔtsie and Tsevie.
I know my people would have still gone west, crossing the Volta river, but for the advanced age of the great Torgbui Wenya who, after having led his people through thick and thin, felt he was too advanced in age to continue further. Every Aŋlɔ worth their heritage knows how their new identity came about and Aŋlɔgā (Anloga) became its capital.
As a student at Zion College at Aŋlɔgā I took the trouble to visit the historical sites that I learned about in Middle School. I saw myself living through our history as a people and tribe.
Not only that; I felt a deep sense of belonging. It confirmed my understanding of our communality and responsibility towards one another, fierce honesty and abhorrence of evil.
I knew also that only the Bate and Adzovia clans could ascend the throne as Awoamefia, the Overlord of the Aŋlɔ State. Coming from the Liké Clan disqualifies me to ever become the Awoamefia. But thankfully, I come from the Royal Akornu House of Anyako.
All that I have seen captured in our historical narrative is that Torgbui Wenya anointed and installed his nephew (his sister’s son) as Awoamefia Torgbui Sri. But the narratives do not tell us why Torgbui Wenya chose his nephew over others in spite of the Dogbo (that’s who they were) custom of patrilineal inheritance.
Some analysts say Torgbui Wenya saw greater leadership qualities in his nephew than any other person who could be a candidate. Of course, this is not new in human history.
So, our great leader and founder of the Aŋlɔ State, issued this as an edict that has been with the Aŋlɔ State till date. As Dutɔ (custodian of the land) he became kingmaker. This was his prerogative.
In fact, Amega Wenya’s nephew Fuiga Kponoe, was the Prince and heir apparent of the Tado Ewe when he ran away with the Stool to join his maternal uncle Wenya and the Dogbo Eυe in Ŋɔtsie. This proclaiming him was a master stroke that united the hitherto separated Tado and Dogbo Eυe into one monolith in Ŋɔtsie.
There is no recorded challenge to Torgbui Wenya’s decision and the people of Aŋlɔ have lived with this for centuries. As a result, we have had the following Awoamefia:
1. Torgbui Sri I (1468-1504);
2. Torgbui Adeladza I (1504-1524);
3. Torgbui Zanyedo I (1525-1538);
4. Torgbui Akotsui I (1540-1568);
5. Torgbui Ŋditsi I (1568-1594);
6. Torgbui Adzanu I (1595-1630);
7. Torgbui Agodomatu I (1631-1660);
8. Torgbui Agodeha I (1661-1685) and
9. Torgbui Aholu Nunya I (1686-1725).
They were followed by
10. Torgbui Atsia I (1726-1776);
11. Torgbui Atsiasa I (1784-1810);
12. Torgbui Letsa Gbagba I (1810- 1840);
13. Torgbui Amedor Kpegla I (1849- 1906);
14. Torgbui Sri II (1906-1956) and
15. Torgbui Adeladza II (1957-1997).
The Awadada (Warlord) Torgbui Agbesi Awusu II acted as Awoamefia from 1997 till the current Awoamefia Torgbui Sri III was installed in 2011 as the 16th Awoamefia of Aŋlɔ.
As stated earlier, the succession process that brought in the current Awoamefia was as murky as it was confusing, especially for those of us not within the Bate and Adzovia Clans. Until very recently, when someone was purporting to be Torgbui Wenya III, there had been a relative quiet in Aŋlɔ.
Actually, the succession of the current Awoamefia was due mainly to opportunism and greed within the Adzovia Clan, which disunity has gravely affected effective Traditional governance in Aŋlɔ.
From the listed succession of Awoamefia, one could deduce that nothing has ever been heard of a Torgbui Wenya as Dutɔ of Aŋlɔ aside of the great founder of the Aŋlɔ State and dynasty, Dutɔ Wenya who anointed and installed his nephew as Awoamefia.
It is difficult to understand why someone would pop up and lay claim to a position not recognised as having been part of our recent traditional norms and practice, unless the claimant has an agenda only he and his handlers (if there are any) know. Personally, I suspect political paymasters whose avowed aim is to divide and rule the people.
Assuming, without admitting, that it was wrong for the great Torgbui Wenya to install his nephew as Awoamefia, do we rise up after almost five hundred years to want to right the wrong? If this were allowable, should there not be a process or template for such? Have these been followed or this so-called Torgbui Wenya III is only an attention seeker bent on destroying the Aŋlɔ State?
Aŋlɔ has gone through turbulent times and this is an inauspicious moment to sew any seed of disunity among the people. Already, political chicanery has been deployed to decimate the Aŋlɔ unity by carving out and creating paramountcies to stand on their own. We should not tolerate any malicious attempt to destroy us further by selfseekers or those dancing to the tunes of self-serving characters.
The paramountcies thus created must follow the example and time tested practice of Asanteman where all Asante paramountcies owe allegiance and deference to the Asantehene. Sadly, the current Awoamefia does not seem to want to exert his authority in this regard.
I must point out that our traditional rulers have held this country together more than any politicians have ever attempted to. Indeed, politicians benefit from our disunity as different tribal groups than they will admit to. This is why it is dangerous to want to sew disaffection in any of our traditional areas.
Now, the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs has written to the Dutɔ Wenya III to desist from carrying himself as such. Methinks that should have put paid to the activities of this fellow, but he fired back at the Ministry as if it does not know what it is about.
As I write, the Accra High Court is to sit on a case of one injunction or another on the celebration of this year’s Hogbezā. I am careful not to dwell on the legalities as I am not a lawyer. My understanding is that the fellow holding himself as Dutɔ is a lawyer.
I have watched video clips of some young women of Aŋlɔ lambasting the people involved in this Chieftaincy saga. Their contention is that it is a needless exercise for grown men to squabble over who has traditional authority while Aŋlɔ wallows in abject underdevelopment and poverty.
Much as their concerns make a lot of sense, it must be borne thoroughly in mind that a harmonious traditional area gives assurance to investors in development and commercial projects. It is timely, though, to call for sane minds so the area can see development.
Personally, my take is that the weakness of the Awoamezi is the reason why Aŋlɔ has come to this. Court or no Court, methinks the invocation of the time-tested Great Oath of Aŋlɔ could settle this once and for all. If this will cleanse us of miscreants, usurpers and selfseekers, so be it. We have a tradition to keep and customs to uphold. Nothing should break our sanity as a people.
By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia
Writer’s email address:
akofa45@yahoo.com
Features
Tears of Ghanaman, home and abroad
The typical native of Sikaman is by nature a hospitable creature, a social animal with a big heart, a soul full of the milk of earthly goodness, and a spirit too loving for its own comfort.
Ghanaman hosts a foreign pal and he spends a fortune to make him very happy and comfortable-good food, clean booze, excellent accommodation and a woman for the night.
Sometimes the pal leaves without saying a “thank you but Ghanaman is not offended. He’d host another idiot even more splendidly. His nature is warm, his spirit benevolent. That is the typical Ghanaian and no wonder that many African-Americans say, “If you haven’t visited Ghana. Then you’ve not come to Africa.
You can even enter the country without a passport and a visa and you’ll be welcomed with a pot of palm wine.
If Ghanaman wants to go abroad, especially to an European country or the United States, it is often after an ordeal.
He has to doze in a queue at dawn at the embassy for days and if he is lucky to get through to being interviewed, he is confronted by someone who claims he or she has the power of discerning truth from lie.
In short Ghanaman must undergo a lie-detector test and has to answer questions that are either nonsensical or have no relevance to the trip at hand. When Joseph Kwame Korkorti wanted a visa to an European country, the attache studied Korkorti’s nose for a while and pronounced judgment.
“The way I see you, you won’t return to Ghana if I allow you to go. Korkorti nearly dislocated her jaw; Kwasiasem akwaakwa. In any case what had Korkorti’s nose got to do with the trip?
If Ghanaman, after several attempts, manages to get the visa and lands in the whiteman’s land, he is seen as another monkey uptown, a new arrival of a degenerate ape coming to invade civilized society. He is sneered at, mocked at and avoided like a plague. Some landlords abroad will not hire their rooms to blacks because they feel their presence in itself is bad business.
When a Sikaman publisher landed overseas and was riding in a public bus, an urchin who had the impudence and notoriety of a dead cockroach told his colleagues he was sure the black man had a tail which he was hiding in his pair of trousers. He didn’t end there. He said he was in fact going to pull out the tail for everyone to see.
True to his word he went and put his hand into the backside of the bewildered publisher, intent on grabbing his imaginary tail and pulling it out. It took a lot of patience on the part of the publisher to avert murder. He practically pinned the white miscreant on the floor by the neck and only let go when others intervene. Next time too…
The way we treat our foreign guests in comparison with the way they treat us is polar contrasting-two disparate extremes, one totally incomparable to the other. They hound us for immigration papers, deport us for overstaying and skinheads either target homes to perpetrate mayhem or attack black immigrants to gratify their racial madness
When these same people come here we accept them even more hospitably than our own kin. They enter without visas, overstay, impregnate our women and run away.
About half of foreigners in this country do not have valid resident permits and was not a bother until recently when fire was put under the buttocks of the Immigration Service
In fact, until recently I never knew Sikaman had an Immigration Service. The problem is that although their staff look resplendent in their green outfit, you never really see them anywhere. You’d think they are hidden from the public eye.
The first time I saw a group of them walking somewhere, I nearly mistook them for some sixth-form going to the library. Their ladies are pretty though.
So after all, Sikaman has an Immigration Service which I hear is now alert 24 hours a day tracking down illegal aliens and making sure they bound the exit via Kotoka International. A pat on their shoulder.
I am glad the Interior Ministry has also realised that the country has been too slack about who goes out or comes into Sikaman.
Now the Ministry has warned foreigners not to take the country’s commitment to its obligations under the various conditions as a sign of weakness or a source for the abuse of her hospitality.
“Ghana will not tolerate any such abuse,” Nii Okaija Adamafio, the Interior Minister said, baring his teeth and twitching his little moustache. He was inaugurating the Ghana Refugee and Immigration Service Boards.
He said some foreigners come in as tourists, investors, consultants, skilled workers or refugees. Others come as ‘charlatans, adventurers or plain criminals. “
Yes, there are many criminals among them. Our courts have tried a good number of them for fraud and misconduct.
It is time we welcome only those who would come and invest or tour and go back peacefully and not those whose criminal intentions are well-hidden but get exposed in due course of time.
This article was first published on Saturday March 14, 1998
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Features
Decisions have consequences
In this world, it is always important to recognise that every action or decision taken, has consequences.
It can result in something good or bad, depending on the quality of the decision, that is, the factors that were taken into account in the decision making.
The problem with a bad decision is that, in some instances, there is no opportunity to correct the result even though you have regretted the decision, which resulted in the unpleasant outcome.
This is what a friend of mine refers to as having regretted an unregretable regret. After church last Sunday, I was watching a programme on TV and a young lady was sharing with the host, how a bad decision she took, had affected her life immensely and adversely.
She narrated how she met a Caucasian and she got married to him. The white man arranged for her to join him after the marriage and processes were initiated for her to join her husband in UK. It took a while for the requisite documentation to be procured and during this period, she took a decision that has haunted her till date.
According to her narration, she met a man, a Ghanaian, who she started dating, even though she was a married woman.
After a while her documents were ready and so she left to join her husband abroad without breaking off the unholy relationship with the man from Ghana.
After she got to UK, this man from Ghana, kept pressuring her to leave the white man and return to him in Ghana. The white man at some point became a bit suspicious and asked about who she has been talking on the phone with for long spells, and she lied to him that it was her cousin.
Then comes the shocker. After the man from Ghana had sweet talked her continuously for a while, she decided to leave her husband and return to Ghana after only three weeks abroad.
She said, she asked the guy to swear to her that he would take care of both her and her mother and the guy swore to take good care of her and her mother as well as rent a 3-bedroom flat for her. She then took the decision to leave her husband and return to Ghana.
She told her mum that she was returning to Ghana to marry the guy in Ghana. According to her, her mother vigorously disagreed with her decision and wept.
She further added that her mum told her brother and they told her that they were going to tell her husband about her intentions.
According to her, she threatened that if they called her husband to inform him, then she would commit suicide, an idea given to her by the boyfriend in Ghana.
Her mum and brother afraid of what she might do, agreed not to tell her husband. She then told her husband that she was returning to Ghana to attend her Grandmother’s funeral.
The husband could not understand why she wanted to go back to Ghana after only three weeks stay so she had to lie that in their tradition, grandchildren are required to be present when the grandmother dies and is to be buried.
She returned to Ghana; the flat turns into a chamber and hall accommodation, the promise to take care of her mother does not materialise and generally she ends up furnishing the accommodation herself. All the promises given her by her boyfriend, turned out to be just mere words.
A phone the husband gave her, she left behind in UK out of guilty conscience knowing she was never coming back to UK.
Through that phone and social media, the husband found out about his boyfriend and that was the end of her marriage.
Meanwhile, things have gone awry here in Ghana and she had regretted and at a point in her narration, was trying desperately to hold back tears. Decisions indeed have consequences.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
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