Royal Hiaba Clan Awudome Anyirawase Awudome Traditional Area, Volta Region

The Hiaba Royal Clan of Awudome Anyirawase within the jurisdiction of Awudome Traditional Area wishes to notify the General Public that Mr. Isaac Newton Komla Dzanie, a Retired Police Officer, holding himself as Mankrado and Paramount Chief of Awudome Traditional Area has not been properly installed in accordance with custom and Tradition and Provisions in section 57 (1) of the Chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759 which defines a Chief “As a person who, hailing from the appropriate family and lineage, has been validly nominated, elected or selected and enstooled or enskinned or installed as a Chief or Queenmother in accordance with the relevant customary law and usage”. The nonfulfillment or defiance of the relevant customary law and usage disqualifies one from being a Chief.

That Togbega Addai Kwasi Sekpe XII, Paramount Chief and President of Awudome Traditional Council has no knowledge of the installation of Togbe Dzanie VIII, known in private life as Isaac Newton Komla Dzanie, a Divisional Chief within the jurisdiction of Awudome Traditional Area who was installed in the year 2016.

That the said Chief has sworn the Oath of Allegiance to one Divisional Chief under the Paramountcy; something which has never happened before in the history of Awudome Traditional Area, a serious violation of custom and tradition. This can never happen in any Traditional Area in Ghana.

That the said Chieftaincy Declaration Forms were processed by a Former Registrar of the Council, Charles Amevienku in 2017, without the consent and approval of the President Togbega Addai Kwasi Sekpe XII.

That the President of the Council has never approved or signed Vacation Form (C.D.F 1A) and Enstoolment Form (C.D.F.1B) as signature and title of person making report as required by law in respect of Togbe Dzanie VIII (Mankrado).

That information reaching the Royal Family indicates that Vacation and Enstoolment Forms of the aforementioned chief has been falsified from Awudome Traditional Council through the Volta Regional House of Chiefs to National House of Chiefs for Gazette and the forms have been approved by the National House of Chiefs at its first General Meeting held in 2018.

Mr. Isaac Newton Komla Dzanie wanted peace to reign at Anyirawase and noted that Hiaba Royal Clan was very important in this instance. More so, he recognized the Hiaba Royal Clan as relevant in his effort. He even accepted the proposal from Hiaba Royal Clan to go through the customary procedure in line with time-tested Awudome Tradition and Culture to becoming a legitimate Paramount Chief of Awudome Traditional Area. However, unfortunately he failed to appear at the function slated for Thursday, 14th April, 2022 at Awudome Anyirawase.

Concerning the status of becoming Paramount Chief, procedures as enshrined in the Chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759 and customs and tradition of Awudome Traditional Area must be strictly adhered to.

To consummate his installation process, the self-styled chief must swear the Oath of Allegiance to Togbega Addai Kwasi Sekpe XII or his representative. The swearing of the Oath of Allegiance fulfills his customary and constitutional prerequisite in determining a Chief as tenets in section 76(e) of the Chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759, “The Constitutional Relations Under Customary Law Between Chiefs.”

May God bless us all.

Yaw Yaraku