Anlo Chieftaincy Crisis Re-Emerges

The Anlo chieftaincy crisis has re-emerged and taken another violent turn during which a mob broke into the residence of Mr Francis Nyonyo Agboada, aka Torgbui Sri III, and set the property ablaze. In the process, one of the alleged arsonists, who has been identified as Mawuli Ekpe, was trapped in the inferno and got burnt to death. His body has since been deposited at the Keta Hospital Mortuary. The latest violence in Anlo was sparked by a statement purportedly made by Togbui Dukli Attipoe V of Anyako when a delegation called on the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, that Mr Agboada was to be installed by the chiefs of the area as the Awoamefia of Anlo. The statement, which was broadcast on an Accra-based radio station, led to a spontaneous reaction from hundreds of people from the Anlo area who stormed the residences of Mr Agboada and Togbe Klougo II at Anloga, broke into them and burnt the properties. Not even the presence of 18 policemen who had been stationed at Mr Agboada’s residence could deter the irate crowd. The Volta Regional Police Commander, Mr David Ampah-Bennin, confirmed that last Wednesday a delegation of five from the Anlo Traditional Council had paid a courtesy call on Mr Amenowode. According to him, after the meeting, Togbui Dukli Attipoe, who claimed to be a spokesperson for Mr Agboada, went on an Accra radio station to say that the delegation had met the regional minister and informed him that Mr Agboada was to be installed as Awoamefia by the chiefs and people of the area. Mr Ampah-Bennin said about 11 p.m. on Thursday night, a group of angry youth in the area moved to the residence of the two persons, broke into them, brought out some items and set them ablaze. Items destroyed at Mr Agboada’s residence included a royal stool on which he sat during public functions, television sets and sewing machines. At Togbui Klougo’s residence, the mob destroyed personal effects from his bedroom, as well as some traditional symbols that were cast into the fire and burnt together with his personal effects. According to Mr Ampah-Bennin, in the ensuing confusion, Mawuli Ekpe was trapped and killed by the inferno. He said initially the hospital authorities had refused to receive the body of Ekpe but the intervention of the Keta Municipal Chief Executive resolved the issue. He added that police reinforcement had been sent to the place to beef up security and restore law and order. Members of the delegation which called on the regional minister have been identified as Togbe Klougo II of Anlo, Togbui Gamor II of Ave-Havi, Togbe Dukli Attipoe V of Anyako, Mr Atsu Agboada and Mr Albert Kwasi Sadikah. At the time of filing this report, Mr Amenowode had given notice of a press conference scheduled for later in the day to throw more light on the visit of the delegation to his office. Meanwhile, Mr Agboada, who is the Managing Director of Fraga Oil Company Ltd, has dissociated himself from reports that he is to be installed as the Awoamefia of Anlo. He said the purported announcement after some traditional leaders had visited the Volta Regional Minister in Ho had been made without his consent. Mr Agboada, whose installation as the Awoamefia of Anlo stirred a civil strife in the area, renounced his claim to the stool on November 13, 2007. Source: Daily Graphic