The Paramount Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area, Togbega Gabusu, has disclosed that apart from the regalia, he lost two important valuables- two Holy Bibles and two Qurans- in during recent skirmishes in Hohoe.
According to him, the Holy Books had historic significance. The Qurans, he said, were given to him by the Iranian government through the then Ambassador to Ghana a couple of years ago.
Togbe Gabusu made the disclosure when a 13-member delegation from the Office of Ahlu Sunah Wal Jamah of the Moslem sect called on him in his residence over the weekend.
The delegation had visited Hohoe to acquaint themselves with the state of affairs, sympathize with the feuding factions and encourage them to live peacefully.
Togbega expressed regret for the incident, adding that the last time something like that happened in the area was in 1949. He called for peace and asked that the few perpetrators of the act be smoked out to genuinely apologize from their hearts for their misdeeds, instead of their leaders and elders apologizing on their behalf.
The leader of the delegation, Sheikh Umar Ibrahim, Chief Imam of the Ahlu Sunah group, commended Togbega Gabusu for his love and wisdom and pledged to immediately replace the Qurans.
He called for peace in Hohoe and pledged that he and his elders would continue to support efforts for lasting peace in Hohoe.
The Chief Imam and his entourage met members of the Zongo community at Hohoe where he interacted with them and their leaders and appealed to them to exercise restraint and preach peace.
Sheikh Umar Ibrahim presented 30 bags of rice, 20 cartons of cooking oil and a cash of GH¢1,000 to the Hohoe Zongo community.
The Deputy Chief Imam of the Hohoe Zongo community, Alhaji Tahiru Mohammed, who received the items on behalf of the Zongo community, expressed his gratitude for the gesture.
The delegation also met some members of the Gbi Traditional Council and apologized for the unfortunate incident.
The spokesperson for the traditional council, Togbe Adzimah, said he was grateful for the visit and reiterated that the conflict that took place in Hohoe was not a fight between the people of Hohoe and Muslims, neither was it a fight between Christians and Muslims. He said it was just a misunderstanding between the people of Hohoe and members of the Zongo community in the area.
He used the occasion to appeal to the delegation to prevail upon some of the members of the Zongo community who still continued to make certain provocative utterances that were not helping the peace process.
Sheikh Umar Ibrahim also presented an amount of money to the paramount chief of the Gbi State.
The national advisor to the Chief Imam, Major Abdul Gaffar, later explained that visit formed part of efforts being made by both government and eminent groups and personalities to ensure that Hohoe totally returned to its former status as an important and peaceful and strategic commercial business community along the Eastern corridor road.
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