Amenowode: Arrest Togbi Atippoe Or Resign

Anlo Youth Council (AYC)after exhaustive consultation, and very cognizant of the failures of Governments to keep the peace in Anlo, wishes to state unequivocally its call on Mr. Amenowode, the Minister of Volta Region to immediately have Torgbui Duklui Atippoe V arrested and charged with the appropriate offences or resign honourably. Anlo Youth Council wishes also to extend its gratitude to the Joy Fm reporter for bringing to light what had been a secret meeting between the Volta Regional Minister and a group of persons referring to themselves as Anlo Traditional Council.

The behavior of Government in all its facets, particularly the judiciary is very confusing to say the very least. Justice and the law they say have a long arm. This learned fraternity, as they will hasten to have themselves referred to at the least opportunity simply worsen our plight. For us common minds, justice, no matter how tortuous and difficult with its twists and turns, must be delivered. And when it has finally arrived at our humble table, it must be simply served, and with ample common sense to enable the common man digests it. Whilst AYC cannot constitute itself into court, we feel hurt and betrayed and wishes to use this medium and opportunity to state the reasons for the way we feel.

Anlo Traditional Council visits the President Early in June this year, a group of Chiefs and Dumegawo from Anlo led by Torgbui Gbordzor III Dufia of Woe, and Dusifia of Anlo went to the Castle Osu to pay a working visit to the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Professor J E A Mills. As part of this delegation were very prominent Dumegawo in and out of Government. The Press, which was abundantly represented, broadcasted variously and referred to this delegation as a representation of the Anlo Traditional Council. No single counter claim was heard from any quarter about this de-jury and de-facto representation of Anlo by the group that visited the President. All was well and peaceful thereafter.

Mr. Joseph Amenowode

Then on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 a group of persons namely Torgbui Duklui Attipoe V, Torgbui Kluogo II, Torgbui Gamor II, Mr. Atsu Agboada, and Mr. Albert Kwasi Sadikah visited Mr. Amenowode on appointment purported to have emanated from Anlo Traditional Council. Mr. Amenowode the Minister for the Volta Region is a Voltarian, his Deputy is an Anlo native, and many of his staffers have worked with regional administrative before November 1 2007 and since. Several Districts Chief Executives and Members of Parliament, natives of Anlo are also available to Mr. Amenowode if he had elected to consult. What could have motivated Mr. Amenowode to ignore these enormous resources remain very distant from our reasoning and comprehension. The kind of politics Mr. Amenowode believed in, which allowed him to see all manner of persons, no matter which or what personality they represent without consultation, is not what we desired of our public officers.

In a nutshell, a surreptitious meeting took place without any reporter or recorder. We are putting it to Mr. Amenowode that he chose to have a meeting with a delegation with a fake representation and his motives for such conduct cannot be blamed on naivety.

We welcome Mr. Amenowode’s challenge reported in the Daily Graphic of Monday, July 27, 2009; ‘that the onus lay on the people of Anlo to solve their dispute and clearly stated that only Anlos could choose their Chiefs and so they must go back and do their homework well and work with the youth of Anlo who are investing in solving the problem.’ What is disheartening is the way Government institutions and Government personalities are meddling and compounding what is a very simple matter.

Torgbui Duklui Attipoe V Torgbui Attippoe leads a delegation which constituted themselves as emissaries of the Anlo Traditional Council to make representation on behalf of same to the Regional Minister. It is verifiable that this representation was fictitious, misleading and meant to “test the waters”, especially after a change of government. These persons visited the Regional Minister without a prepared statement and found it expedient to issue a communiqué to the Press as the outcome of the meeting. The very unpalatable consequences are now well known. Properties have been destroyed and life lost. The security situation in Anlo has been seriously compromised and our priceless investments of time and resources in peace for Anlo sabotaged. Every person, personalities or institutions that Torgbui Attipoe V and his group claimed to have represented have denied him. The headship of his family is the latest to deny his claims in the Daily Graphic of August 05, 2009.

Torgbui Attippoe misrepresented himself, misrepresented the facts, deceived the public (that is if Mr. Amenowode told the truth) and deceived the Minister for Volta Region. We have no option. We put it to Mr. Amenowode who is a victim and a primary witness in this matter that he is seized with the most onerous honorable duty to cause the arrest of Torgbui Duklui Atippoe V or resign.

JOY FM

Anlo Youth Council wishes to commend Joy Fm for a good work done. Indeed Joy Fm reported what Torgbui Attipoe V had said. If it had not been for Joy Fm, we would not have known that such a clandestine meeting took place in Ho and who the participants at this meeting were. Their motives we can very well imagine. What is factual is that a meeting did take place and Mr. Amenowode did admit he ave audience to Torgbui Duklui Attippoe V, who is now proven to represent NOBODY and not even HIMSELF without due diligence and sought to seek refuge under the smelly political blanket of an open door policy. We appreciate this experience to have given him an excellent lesson.

If one side of the story is factual, very clear and without any ambiguity whatsoever, what journalistic value is in getting the other side to confuse and contradict the truth and the fact.

Anlo Traditional Council

For those who are ignorant or are being misled by the figments of their own imagination, there is one and only one Anlo Traditional Council, headed by the Acting President, Awadada Torgbui Agbesi Awusu II, supported by the Three Awalogomefiawo, Thirty-Six Dufiawo, Fifteen Hlortatowo,Tronuaowo or Mawunuawo, Emissary Chiefs, Dumegawo and Co-opted Councilors.

Whatever anyone person or institutions did, will remain an insult to their own intelligence, morality and conscience. We know who we are and what we stand for. Anlo would remain united ‘till the last man: ‘Naketi deka nor dzome binu’ The documents and papers being brandished about by some people in newspapers ostensibly to have been issued by authority is not worth the ink and paper wasted. It is unfortunate some of these documents were fraudulently obtained from the institutions of the Republic of Ghana.

Did AYC not in October last year issue a rejoinder to a report purported from an Accra Fast Track Court which vacated an order in this matter? Among the questions we raised then was: ‘Additionally, has the AG who in November 2007 last year, found it expedient and prudent to obtain an injunction order to forestall mayhem in Anlo, satisfied his own good and learned self that indeed Anlo have with due process installed an Awoamefia as being claimed in the affidavit?’

President John Evans Atta Mills

His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, Professor, John Evans Atta Mills, should your Minister Mr. Amenowode fail to cause the arrest of Torgbui Duklui Attippoe V and have him prosecuted, and should he refuse to resign, Anlo Youth Council would be calling on you to sack him. Mr. President, let not your good self be in contempt of the people of Anlo.

Anlo Youth Council Signed: Mayor Agbleze (President) Prosper Yao Tsikata (Secretary) 024-2205520