The Saga of being Ewe… (Part 3)

What the Speaker put on is normally worn by people from Ewe and Ga-Dangbe areas of Ghana. Akans traditionally do not put on jumper under their cloth. That he wore something not from his area speaks volumes for Mr. Bagbin as a nationalist. However, the crown is normally worn by royals. Speaking of royals brings me to our chiefs.

The Ewe respect their chiefs, except in areas where people usurp the stool either by chicanery or through influence peddling. This is normally done by people who either turn tradition on its head and hold no legitimacy to the stool. Stories of this nature abound, not only in the Volta Region, but in other regions as well

Because the Volta Region is not seen as endowed as compared with other regions, some of our chiefs take up formal employment in government service or private sector in other areas, thus are back home mostly when tradition demands. But there are laid down protocols the people follow in the absence of Torgbewo/Torgbuiwo.

A unique opportunity has been foisted on Ewe chiefs by the creation of the Oti Region. While the former Volta Region had diverse ethnic groups, the current Volta is entirely Ewe. Though I personally prefer a united region with people of diverse ethnicity, the Ewe must take the challenge now to forge a cohesive and united Eweland. And this must be spearheaded by our chiefs, not politicians.

It was in light of this that I felt scandalised when a viral video showed one of our chiefs, in a meeting with the President, was virtually begging the President for a personal car. I know for a fact that some chiefs all over the country make personal demands on the presidency when there is a chance meeting as in the above situation.

Chiefs are custodians of our culture and heritage. Under no circumstances should they pander to the whims of politicians. The reason politicians first call on our chiefs before meeting with the people in their areas is because they know the authority and power wielded by our chiefs in their areas of influence. Our chiefs must let the politicians know, and openly too, what is needed in their traditional areas and get these politicians to address them. That is the surest way to get respect from our politicians.

Because of the hardship we suffered at the hands of the tyrant King Agorkorli after we settled at Notsie from Ketu in South-Western Nigeria, the Ewe are resilient and disciplined people, even till today. It is an abomination to covet what is not yours. Punishment for such things back in the day was instant. As a result, Ewe chiefs are installed after careful character scrutiny. In Anlɔ area, for example, chiefs are not destooled; they simply are taken South. This tells of the uprightness of the Ewe. This does not in any way suggest that there are no deviant characters among the people. There is a “mensem” (troublesome person) in every society, not so? You cannot have everyone pious, honest and upright.

But who are the Ewe? They are found within the boundaries of Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana. There are three major Ewe groups in Ghana. These are Anlɔ, Eυedome and Tongu. There are sub-groups within the major ones. Due to the spread across vast areas and mixing with other ethnic groups, dialects developed in the language. The three major Ewe groups speak different dialects from one another. The Ewe spoken in Ghana is different from that in Togo, which is also different from that in Benin and Nigeria. It is like Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi and perhaps Fante.

I read a document that says Akan is also spoken in three countries or so. That is true, so why are the Ewe said to be foreigners in Ghana? We all moved from somewhere to where we are now. It is a historical fact that the Guan are the oldest people to have been in this country. The rest of us came later.

I am a very proud Voltaian (not Voltarian, because Volta is not spelt with ‘r’ at the end). No one can take this from me even if my birthplace of Koforidua holds a pride-of-place in my heart and as a citizen of New Juaben.

I would love to see the Volta Region develop with our respected chiefs spearheading the developmental agenda. In my estimation, politicians have created more problems for Ghana than they have ever solved. This is compounded for Volta because it has been tagged as the World Bank of a political party. We cannot be the pawns on the politician’s chessboard; and we expect our chiefs to make this loud and clear to them.

That Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, returned over GH¢365,000 to government chest is not necessarily because he is a chief, but because he is basically Ewe whose DNA is not to covet what he believes he is not deserving of. However, being a chief has given him the filip to lead by example. Akpe na Togbe.

Volta needs a strong, dynamic and leadership-driven House of Chiefs to steer the development programmes for the region. This is where I want to publicly take umbrage to the fact that I wrote a letter dated March 15, 2021 to the Volta Region House of Chiefs and posted under registered cover, but till date, receipt of that letter has not been acknowledged.

The letter contained a tonne of proposals to move the region forward. I even sent a digital copy through the House’s email address.  To make the letter public will be a slap in the face of Togbewo/Torgbuiwo because as a royal myself, I know what that step entails.

Note that I address the chiefs as Togbewo/Torgbuiwo. The simple explanation is that Eυedome call their chiefs Togbe and the rest say Torgbui. So it is appropriate to do it right.

Each one has their history and story to tell. Tell it and be truthful and factual about it without recourse to vilification of others in an attempt to demonise other people. It takes this country nowhere. It gives me immense pride that at least two universities in Germany have faculties for the study of Ewe language. I should be more proud if other Ghanaian languages are studied outside of our shores.

I am particularly scandalised by a voice clip making the rounds that caught Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo clearly discounting Asante involvement in our independence struggle. What purpose is it supposed to serve? Pit Akyem against Asante? And these are Akan from same roots. It took an innocuous comment to set Rwanda ablaze in 1994 in which close to a million people lost their lives. I have been there and that must not happen here.

Meanwhile, both Hutus and Tutsis speak the same language called Kenyarwanda. With the advancement of technology, even walls have ears and can pick the slightest sound we make. I have always stated that what politicians do not say in public is rather the news; not what they say into the microphones. Our Asante compatriots are livid, and justifiably so. I pray for cool heads in these trying times.

After all, Ghana is all we have.

Writer’s email address

akofa45@yahoo.com

By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia