The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) Church, Ghana, Rt Rev Dr Col Lt Bliss Kofi Agbeko, has appealed for a dialogue to resolve the Chieftaincy dispute in the Ziavi Traditional Area.

He asserted that disputes of such magnitude retard community development and hence the feuding factions must give peace a chance for the progress of the Green Valley Community of the Ho Municipality in the Volta Region.

His comments followed an appeal by the Dutorfia of the Ziavi Traditional Area, Togbe Adza Nye IV, to assume arbitration roles and resolve the conflict, when the Church presented a citation scroll to Togbe Adzanye at his residence in Ziavi Dzogbe.

Background

The demise and interment of the late Togbega Ayim Kwaku IV reignited a chieftaincy dispute over the rightful heir to the Paramount stool of the Ziavi Traditional Area.

The Akpevi Clan, the dissenting group of the Tsadaviefe Clan performed rites purported to have installed the son of Togbega Ayim Kwaku IV, Alfred Kumah, as his successor together with Precious Agbaga as Paramount Queenmother.

Subsequently, the Tsadaviefe Clan also did rites claiming to have installed Conrad Sename Norgbey as Paramount Chief and Seraphine Miriam Norgbey, as Paramount Queenmother, with the stool names Togbega Adza Yao II and Mamaga Tse-Tugbe I respectively.

Legal tussle

Both clans have been propagating historical precedents claiming ownership of the throne, pending a legal tussle to determine the rightful heir.

Also, Emmanuel Kwasi Norgbe and three others, petitioned the Volta Region House to adjudicate the issue and bring closure to the protracted chieftaincy dispute.

The Judicial Committee of the House, therefore, issued an interlocutory injunction on the four persons not to identify or address themselves as Paramount Chief or Queen of Ziavi, after preliminary hearings.

The Committee also directed that the Dufia of Ziavi-Lume, Togbe Adza Kwadzo III assume an acting position as the President of the Ziavi Traditional Council until the final determination of which clan has the legitimate rights to install the Ziavi Paramount Chief and Queenmother.

Appeal for E.P Church’s intervention

The Dutorfia of the Ziavi Traditional Area, Togbe Adza Nye IV, seized the opportunity to place a clarion call on the leadership of the Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) Church to intervene and if possible, arbitrate the issue.

He lamented the rift between the two clans, which he believes could be easily resolved through dialogue, lamenting the ripple effects of chieftaincy conflicts.

Togbe Adza Nye asserted that issues of such magnitude take years to resolve and retards the progress of the affected communities

“Anywhere there is division, there is no progress. The youth will suffer this, not we the grown-ups. I won't be happy to dent my rulership with retarded development due to chieftaincy conflicts”, he said.

He entreated Chiefs in the community to give peace a chance and resolve the issue amicably and to abide by the Judiciary Committee of the Volta Region House of Chief's directive “by accepting Togbe Adza Kwadzo as the Acting President of the Traditional Council, until the issue is resolved.”

E.P Church’s response

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Rt Rev Dr Col Lt Bliss Kofi Agbeko entreated both factions to give peace a chance by ironing out their differences.

“We want development. No community progresses without unity. So we are looking forward to that. We are praying for that to come true for us.”