There is growing unease in Kpetoe as a result of the alleged unilateral decision taken by the Konor of Agotime, Nene Nuer Keteku III, to quash the recommendations of a committee of enquiry into the Mankrado status of Agotime Kpetoe.
The committee, under the chairmanship of Nene Akoto Sah VI, warlord of Agotime, recommended that the Agbedrafo Bedze clan should maintain the Kpetoe Mankrado title and that a new chief be installed to carry the Kpetoe Mankrado title.
However, Nene Keteku in his wisdom has reportedly decided to allocate the Mankrado title to the Manya clan from the Akumase family for inexplicable reasons.
But the elders and youth of the Bedze-Agbedrafor clan have vowed to resist any act of commission or omission on the part of the Konor to allow the Manya clan to install a Mankrado for the town.
The situation is reportedly fragile, tense and volatile and if government did not take care to avoid possible clash between the two families, the country could be called upon to find another internal peace keeping assignment in the Agotime area.
The Heritage investigations and follow up interviews revealed that Agbedrafor as part of Bedze, and Manya as part of Akumase have family relationships, and consideration was given to family ties when the paramountcy in Akumase made their choice of Mankrado of Kpetoe from Agbedrafor clan.
Nene Nuer Keteku reportedly accepted traditional drinks from the Agbedrafor clan, and permitted them to install a chief some years back after the death of the Mankrado Nene Afetor Tette Kporku VI. So the kingmakers are now surprised at his “U” turn.
It was further learnt that the past years of Nene Nuer Keteku III were full of chieftaincy disputes, divisiveness and other unhealthy issues that have polarised Agotime, hindering developments.
Members of the committee set up by the Konor are in a dilemma as to why he should hurriedly set aside their verdict without carefully studying it, deeming his action questionable and a show of disrespect to his chosen chiefs and elders.
Nene Akoto Sah and Nene Abri V, both members of the committee, alleged to The Heritage that Nene Nuer Keteku has vested interest in Manya clan, and directed the committee to give its verdict in their favour. However, when all the committee members met and carefully put their views together it became impossible as not a single member opposed the Agbedrafor-Bedze clan as the custodians of the Mankrado Stool.
They warned the Konor to be ready to face all consequences that might engulf Agotime if he went ahead to unilaterally set aside the Committee’s verdict without any jurisdiction, advising him to rather carefully study their report without any prejudice to let peace prevail.
“We want to forge ahead in unity and stand by the truth and assist you run the administration in peace to enhance development in the entire traditional area,” they said.
A document signed by Nene Nuer Keteku III addressed Togbe Ahortor Makaku V and Frator John Afetor, all of Bedze-Agbedrafor on 10 June 1992 with copies to the ASP I/C Kpetoe, PNDC District Secretary, Ho, the Registrar, Agotime Traditional Council, the Registrar, Volta Region House of Chiefs, the Assemblymen and all chiefs of the traditional area, stated that he came to meet Nene Afetor Tette Kporku VI as a chief and as Mankrado of Agotime in 1969 from the Agbedrafo-Bedze clan when he was enstooled as Konor.
The letter stated that Nene Noe Ketetu II, signed the form 2, of the State Council (Colony and Southern Togoland Regulation 1953) dated 11 May, 1944, reminding Nene Afetor Tette Kporku VI to be recognised by the government as Mankrado of the Agotime State and has since been recognised as such.
It went on to state that Nene Kporku by the Chieftaincy Act 1971 Act 370, got gazetted in the register of Chiefs as Mankrado of Agotime and appeared in the Local Government bulletin No. 30 of 1973 and therefore all these statutory documentation cannot be changed by a mere petition from an aggrieved person or the Konor of Agotime.
Part of the document also read: “If he (Nene Keteku III) should use his powers as Konor to maintain the status quo, the best he could do is to withhold his restoration of the Legba Stool and allow things to remain as he came to meet them.”
Surprisingly to the people of Agotime, a day after the government of the NPP announced the creation of a new district for Adaklu Amyigbe comprising Adaklu itself, Kpetoe and Ziope with headquarters at Kpetoe, Nene Keteku on 26 November 2003, unilaterally distributed letters to various institutions and clans declaring that by customs and usage of the Mankrado status of Kpetoe belongs to the Manya clan and not Agbedrafor clan.
Meanwhile, Nene Nuer Keteku III, on 13 May 1993 in a letter reference ATC/AB/1 and addressed to the stool father of Ntsrifoa Stool of Akumase with copies to the Registrar, Volta Region House of Chiefs, the Regional Minister, District Chief Executive, Ho, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ho, DSP, Kpetoe and the Assemblymen, Agotime area, announced his abdication from his position as Konor of Agotime in order to avoid unnecessary chieftaincy litigation, which according to him, was retarding the development and progress of the traditional area.
He, however, stated he remained a citizen of Agotime traditional area and prepared to contribute meaningfully to the development of the area. The youth, however, did not disclose the next line of action to take if the Konor went ahead to install a chief from the Manya clan.
