Vakpo youth demand accountability from Paramount Chief, Traditional Council

Some youth and warrior groups of Vakpo in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region has protested against Togbega Gbogbolulu V, Paramount Chief of the area, and the traditional council asking them to render accounts of communal property.

The group demanded that both entities rendered accounts for the lease of lands at Dzogbega; a place they claimed was a “communal” land that gave fame to Vakpo in the era of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s state farms project.

They also called for the paramount chief and the traditional council to account for the use of a Vakpo Educational Fund, as well as the sale of timber harvested at Dzogbega for 15 years.

Prince Adjei, convenor of the group told the media after a protest march through the town, that several hundred acres of the land had been taken away from native farmers and leased to capitalists, and that the Paramount Chief and the traditional council had refused to heed calls on them through a petition on June 09, 2019 to make public, details of the agreements.

“Three hundred (300) acres of our Dzogbega lands had been leased to Alphonse Farms. As we speak, we do not know the full terms of this lease. We do not know how much and for how long the 750 acres was leased though we requested in our petition to be furnished with the contract document of the agreement.

“In 2014, the people of Vakpo raised the seed money for the Vakpo Educational Fund. No one except the Paramount Chief (and probably his linguist) knows how “brilliant but needy students” were selected. There is no properly defined criteria for selecting such students. There is no committee that is responsible for the selection of students. We do not know how much had been given out in the form of scholarship until we were told recently the scholarship scheme had been cancelled," he said.

Mr Adjei alleged that the traditional council in the past 15 years fell teak trees and rosewoods at Dzogbega but no account was made to the people.

He said the traditional council also leased various parcels of Dzogbega land to small scale farmers and called for accounts on them.

The youth also asked that the town benefited from proceeds generated from the lease of land near the residence of the Paramount Chief for the erection of a telecommunication mast.

The convener said three members of the traditional council started the campaign for accountability years ago and had boycotted meetings of the council as a result.

He said the agitations had become necessary due to the plight of farmers who lost their lands and that the youth would seek further actions within the context of the law should their concerns not be addressed.

Mr Adjei called on all who cared about Vakpo to join the fight for accountability.

“Over and over again, we tried to find an amicable way out of this demand for accounts but it had all been in vain and that’s why we are embarking on a peaceful demonstration”.

“In this grave hour, I call on every person and family who cares just a little about Vakpo to join us fight for accountability from Togbe Gbogbolulu V and the Vakpo Traditional Council.



“I have a dream that henceforth, our men and women will not sit down either out of fear or apathy, without taking action when they see and know that things are going wrong”, he added.

Some protestors recounted how they lost their farms, and accused the Paramount Chief of unlawful arrests and harassment.

Placards carried during the peaceful march, which was under police supervision, read: “Render Accounts Now”, “The Selfishness is too Much”, “Save our Land and Stop the Joke”, and “Where are the Committees?” among others.