Togbe Afede XIV, Is He a Traditional Ruler, a Political or a Businessman?-KK.

Togbe Afede XIV, Is He a Traditional Ruler, a Political or a Businessman?-KK.

The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV has been making news headlines in Ghana in this recent time.

One question has been lingering in my mind, in what capacity does Togbe make his public utterances which usually elicit responses from the members of the public?

Does he speak as a Traditional Ruler, a Politician or a Businessman? The revered Traditional Ruler has three faces, that is traditional, political and business.

When Togbe speaks, people try to use the platform on which he speaks to decipher his comments. 

It has turned out to be that, the man makes more political statements than his other two faces that is, traditional and business.

The Asogli State must not lose sight of the fact that, the political terrain is indeed rough one in Ghana simply because irrespective of one's social standing, when people disagree with your position, they will hit back. That is not a sign of disrespectfulness, because someone has a contrary view on your utterances. 

In view of this, if a political figure occupies a stool or a skin and mixes the tradition and politics, the same person views counter claims against his utterances as a mark of disrespect towards him and chooses to use his stool or skin to settle personal scores, leaves much to be desired.

Togbe Afede has been in the news for more political reasons than his role as a Traditional Ruler  to the extent that, people wonder why he uses his traditional authority to meddle in politics?

Hon. Kennedy Agyapong was invited to the this year's Te Za (Yam Festival) celebrated by the Chiefs and people of the Asogli State. The Honourable Member of Parliament honoured the invitation from the Festival Planning Committee and attended the festival only to be publicly humiliated. His gift towards the celebration of the festival was rejected on the grounds that the Honourable MP had made several loose comments and utterances which the Asogli State deemed unbecoming of an Honourable Member of Parliament. 

The Asogli State in an attempt to do a damage control released a press statement outlining reasons for its rejection of Honourable Agyapong's gift and the public humiliation he suffered thereof. 

The statement accused the MP of five different statements that made headlines which were considered to be uncomplimentary and insulting hence their decision to reject his gifts by Togbe Afede XIV of the Asogli State. The so called uncomplimentary statements were made in 2009, 2012 and 2018. The Asogli State was aware that, the MP had made such uncomplimentary statements against the Agbogbomefia, Togbe Afede XIV yet they extended invitation to him. 

Was the Asogli State waiting to use the festival as an opportunity to embarrass the MP? What happened at Asogli State with respect to the treatment of Honourable Kennedy Agyapong must be condemned by all right thinking members of the public.

Talking about disrespect to the people in authority, Togbe Afede VIX, has grossly disrespected former President J.A Kuffour by the comments Togbe made when he invited former President J.E.A  Mills to the Volta Region. He told President Mills that Ewes were treated as second class citizens under J.A Kuffour. Meanwhile Togbe Afede was appointed a member of the Bank of Ghana Board. Besides, J.A Kuffour facilitated the release of land by GHAPOHA for the construction of the Asogli Power Plant yet Togbe Afede had the nerves to say his people and himself were treated like second class citizens inspite of the numerous appointments and infrastructural developments.

If it was not deliberate to invite the MP and to embarrass him, then Asogli State could have used the media to respond to the comments they considered uncomplimentary and insulting to Togbe. The Ada Traditional Council recently prevented a radio station from covering their festival because the council perceived the radio station as disrespecting to the paramount Chief of the area. They did not invite  the station and use the festival to embarrass them.

What happened at the Te Za festival was a typical example of Togbe Afede's political and traditional confusion. If he is at the centre of this unbecoming conduct by a traditional council and people conclude that he is a political figure on the stool would they be wrong? 

If the Asogli State cares to know, festivals are meant to unite people but not to further polarize and divide them. Festivals are not meant to settle personal scores against political opponents.

The Asogli State has shown a bad example of a typical abuse of the traditional authority hence must treat all people equally. 

The Asogli State should note, if it did not approve of the invitation of the Honourable Kennedy Agyapong to the festival then the one who was clandestinely behind this shameful conduct at festival should be unmasked for the public to see his or her diabolical intention. 

Source: Kwasi Korang (KK)