Bishop Lodonu urges communities to extend dignity to chiefs

Ho, Dec. 30, GNA- Right Reverend Francis Lodonu, Bishop of the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church, has called on communities in the Volta Region to extend dignity and respect to their Chiefs.

He made the call at a Thanksgiving Service for the new Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede the XIV at the weekend.

Bishop Lodonu observed that Chiefs are the instruments of God for the orderly organisation of society and should, therefore, be accorded all the reverence required by their status.

He said time was when chiefs in the region were escorted wherever they went, and were well supported by their people and generally held in high esteem.

"It was imaginable in the past for Chiefs to toil on their farms to eke a living", he said, adding "now unless you are rich you will curse yourself for being a Chief".

He said it was not surprising that many communities in the region were finding it difficult to find deserving people to occupy vacant stools, adding that many eligible candidates were running away from that responsibility because of its unpleasant experiences.

Bishop Lodonu said the perceived overshadowing of authority of Chiefs in communities by the central government in local governance also accounted for the general erosion of the esteem accorded to chiefs. He hoped the current breed of Chiefs would restore the traditional respect and authority associated with their offices.

Bishop Lodonu observed that the installation of the new Agbogbomefia was an "auspicious moment, which the people of the Asogli traditional area had been waiting for".

He said the Agbogbomefia's installation was also a blessing to the whole of the Volta region at a crucial time in the region's developmental aspirations, because his wealth of expertise was needed. Bishop Lodonu, therefore, appealed to Chiefs in the region to make the utmost use of his services, "now that he is young before he begins to age".