40-year-old Kpando chieftaincy dispute finally resolved

The almost forty-year-old chieftaincy dispute that has impeded growth and development in the Akpini Traditional Area of Kpando in the Volta Region has been resolved.

The resolution of the decades-old dispute happened on Sunday, May 31 with final palace rituals performed on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

This comes after several weeks of consultations and mediation led by the Akpini Elite Mediation Committee, a six-member committee headed by Dr Ernest Aculey Ansah after many failed committees.

The report of the final mediation meeting held on 7th May 2020 was presented at the May 31 meeting held at the Bishop Herman Senior High School at Kpando which the saw the attendance of the chiefs and selected elders of the three divisions of Kpando namely, Anyigbe, Gbodome and Atsiafume. Also present was the Member of Parliament, Hon. Della Sowah and a representative of the Municipal Chief Executive of the Kpando Municipality, Mr Ernest Quist.

The report has hitherto been endorsed by both parties in the dispute including Togbui Afendza III, the Chief of Kpando Fesi and Acting Paramount Chief of the Akpini State paving way for Togbui Afendza III moving in to take his place as the head of the three divisions and the acting paramount chief of Kpando Traditional pledging his full commitment to the contents of the report of the Mediation Committee.

The performance of the final rituals on Tuesday, June 2 at the Togbui Dagadu’s palace paves way for the implementation of the recommendations made by the committee which includes the installation of a substantive paramount chief for the traditional area, the strict adherence to the accepted customary practice of enstooling a new chief within forty 40 days of the death of a chief, the establishment of a committee that could quickly mediate, arbitrate and settle future disputes in the Akpini State, a committee to plan the celebration Dayibakaka Festival in 2021 and the setting up of a fund to cater for the wellbeing of chiefs in the traditional.



Other members of the Akpini Elite Mediation Committee (A. E. M. C), are Professor Wazi Apoh, Mr Thomas Ntumy, Dr Emmanuel Adenku, Reverend Father Benuyena and Professor Richard Bani. The A.E.M.C was set up by the Akpini Elite group, whose membership comprises of Akpini indigenes of diverse professional and social backgrounds.