By Sankofaonline News Desk
A major chieftaincy confrontation has formally reached the Judicial Committee of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs as Awadada Agbeshie Awusu II of Anloga and Hon. Dan Abodakpi, former Minister of Trade and Industries, have jointly petitioned the House, accusing eight paramount chiefs of attempting to detach themselves from the Anlo State and the authority of the Awoamefia.
The petition, filed on May 15, 2026, lays out a sweeping historical, cultural, and constitutional argument asserting that the Respondents, Paramount Chiefs of Aflao, Avenor, Afife, Some, Ave-Xevi, Klikor, Penyi, and Weta, remain integral parts of the Anlo State and therefore owe allegiance to the Awoamefia.
A PETITION ROOTED IN HISTORY AND CUSTOM
The Petitioners anchor their case in centuries of Anlo history, asserting that the Respondents’ ancestors migrated from Nortsie with Togbi Sri I and were settled by him in the very communities they now lead. The document states:
“The ancestors of the 8 Respondents being Dogboawo migrated to the present state of Anlo from Nortsie together with Togbe Sri I as the King…”
It further emphasizes that these chiefs were not only installed under Anlo custom but were later elevated to paramountcy by Togbi Adeladze II, then Overlord of Anlo, when the Volta Regional House of Chiefs was formed.
The Petitioners argue that this historical lineage and the chiefs’ own installation processes bind them irrevocably to the Awoamefia’s authority.
ALLEGED ATTEMPTS TO BREAK AWAY
At the heart of the petition is the claim that the eight paramount chiefs have recently begun asserting independence from the Anlo State, an act the Petitioners describe as both historically inaccurate and dangerously destabilizing.
The petition states:
“The Respondents… have mistakenly believed that they are now independent of the Anlo State… and owe no allegiance to the Awoamefia.”
The Petitioners insist that the chiefs’ geographical jurisdictions remain within Anlo territory and that their elevation under the Chieftaincy Act does not grant them autonomy from the traditional authority that created their stools.
A LONG RECORD OF PARTICIPATION IN ANLO AFFAIRS
The petition recounts decades,sometimes centuries,of participation by the Respondents and their predecessors in Anlo governance and cultural life:
- Attendance at Anlo State Council of Chiefs meetings
- Participation in Hogbetsotso and mini-Hogbetsotso festivals
- Oaths of allegiance sworn to successive Awoamefias
- Roles on committees of the Anlo Traditional Council
- Historical military contributions under the Awadada’s command
For example, the petition notes:
“The 1st Respondent… has over the years participated in annual Hogbetsotso festivals… always attending with a large retinue of chiefs and elders.”
Similarly, the Afife stool is described as one of the most loyal Adzorvia stools, with its current occupant having sworn allegiance to Togbi Sri III.
PETITIONERS WARN OF THREAT TO ANLO UNITY
The Petitioners argue that the chiefs’ alleged attempts to detach themselves from Anlo authority amount to an existential threat to the unity and integrity of the Anlo State:
“These actions… amount to mischiefs and an attempt to disintegrate the State of Anlo…”
They further assert that the chiefs’ refusal to acknowledge the Awoamefia undermines the 1992 Constitution, which protects the sovereignty of traditional institutions.
RELIEFS SOUGHT
The Petitioners are asking the Judicial Committee to declare, among other things, that:
- The Respondents are paramount chiefs within the Anlo State
- Their elevation does not remove them from Anlo jurisdiction
- They owe allegiance to the Awoamefia
- The Awoamefia’s authority over them remains intact
One of the key reliefs states:
“A declaration that the Awoamefia remains their Overlord once their paramountcies are situated within the geographical space of Anlo State.”
A CASE WITH FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS
This petition is poised to become one of the most consequential chieftaincy cases in recent Anlo history. Its outcome could redefine the relationship between paramountcies and traditional authorities across the Volta Region and potentially influence national chieftaincy jurisprudence.
For now, the Volta Regional House of Chiefs must determine whether the Respondents’ recent posture constitutes a legitimate assertion of autonomy, or an unlawful departure from centuries of Anlo tradition and authority.
Sankofaonline will continue to monitor proceedings and provide updates as this significant case unfolds.
