The Ziavi Traditional Area was the point of attraction in the Ho Municipality of the Volta Region when it performed the final funeral rites of Togbega Kwaku Ayim IV.

Ingenious Ewe culture was on display throughout the 3-week mourning period for the late Ziavi Paramount Chief, who left a distinctive legacy during his 38-year reign.

Ziavi was clad in red and black within the period as natives paid homage to the vociferous, development enthusiast, educationist, and adjudicative traditional ruler.

Asafo groups from Asogli, Botoku, Alavanyo, Tsyome, Klefe, Takla, Awazorli Union, and Peki, among others, participated in the Afanyanya, thus observing the mourning rites.

It was a sight to behold as the various groups exhibited indigenous Ewe culture performing to the tunes of sacred drums.

The three-week mourning period was climaxed with a royal burial service for Togbega Kwaku Ayim IV on the Ziavi Senior High Technical School park, which was attended by thousands.

He was eulogized for his statesmanship, commitment to, unity, development of Ziavi including the provision of utility, and expanding access to education.

Prominent among his deeds was leading the charge to establish the Ziavi Senior High Technical School, with support from the community, government, public, and private institutions.

His legacy also entails making the Ziavi Traditional Area autonomous and enhancing traditional rulership in the area.

His widow, Christine Appoh described him as a kind man, who was gentle, hardworking, and a devoted Christian, and recounted his forgiving heart and how he always chose peace over bitterness and unity over vengeance.

“He was always ready to forgive people who offended him. His speeches are always Biblical and would always quote a verse to buttress his sayings. You were not merely a ruler. You were a nurturer, a protector, and an unwavering advocate for children, the vulnerable, and the future of Ziavi”, she added.

His children recounted how they had to share him with the larger community, identifying him as a father for all, who took great interest in the development of children.

“The socio-economic development of your people was paramount to you. Through the schools you supported, the counsel you offered, and the opportunities you created, you shaped destinies and transformed lives. You believed every child deserved the right to dream and the means to pursue those dreams.”

“To us, you were Tata, a great man with inexhaustible patience, pure love, and forgiveness beyond measure. We had everything in you, yet we now fully understand what we have lost”, his children grieved.

The Ziavi Traditional Council eulogized his contribution to establishing the Council in 2019, of which he served as the Primus President.

He was celebrated for his wisdom in adjudicating issues brought before him and for the drastic development the traditional area witnessed under his watch.

The Council outlined the provision of utility, road construction, schools, enhanced security, and the establishment of the Dututudoza (Development Festival) among others.

“You, Togbega Kwaku Ayim IV, our-soon-to-depart President of the Ziavi Traditional Council (ZTC), a Star that once shone brightly as the Pole Star has found your life now dimmed into oblivion”, the Council mourned.

The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, who was the special guest of honor, acknowledged Togbaga Kwaku Ayim’s contribution to maintaining peace in his traditional area and the entire Volta Region, taking into consideration the chieftaincy cases he adjudicated.

He urged people of his community to build on his legacy and maintain the peace and coexistence, and focus on human and socio-economic development.

On Sunday, the asafos of Ziavi-Lume performed with the sacred Gbedze drum, which is never seen by the eyes, to draw the curtain on the Royal Funeral Rites of Togbega Kwaku Ayim IV.