Togbe Afede XIV,
Agbogbomefia of Asogli, has called on political leaders of Africa to
evolve practical measures to remove artificial barriers inhibiting trade and
commerce among African nations.
He said while other
regions and sub-regions in the world had progressively removed such barriers,
political leaders in Africa remained inactive, while their citizens suffered
inhumane treatments at the various borders.
Togbe Afede was
addressing a grand durbar to crown the 2012 Agbogboza of the chiefs and people
of Notsie, said to be the ancestral home of the Ewes at the weekend.
He observed that
bribery and corruption were responsible for the inability of African countries
to meet their aspirations.
Togbe Afede, who led
a large delegation of Ewes from Ghana on pilgrimage to Notsie, therefore,
called for the reawakening of leaders at the traditional, religious and state
levels to reverse these negative trends to speed up economic development of the
continent.
“Traditional and political leaders must evolve
strategies to curb the hopelessness, poverty, and disease emanating from bad
governance and replace it with selflessness,” the Agbogbomefia said.
He counseled the
youth to resist the urge to cut corners to succeed at all cost and that the
view that participation in mainstream politics was where to hit the jackpot was
misplaced.
Togbe Afede said the
Asian tigers and tigresses did not actualize development through such
aspirations but hard and honest work under purposeful leaderships.
He called on chiefs
to inspire the youth if political leaderships were in a dilemma.
Mr Kwadjo Senou,
Togolese Minister of Arts and Culture, said it was important to harness the
different cultures of the continent for development.
He said the bonding
and binding of the people using culture for development had enormous
potentials.
Togbui Agorkorli IV,
Ewe Fiaga of Notsie, bemoaned the continued fragmentation of ethnic groupings
in the area when in other areas bonding was strengthening.
He expressed optimism
that the ancestral spirits will shower Ewes in Africa and the Diaspora with
good health, bumper harvests and prosperity.
Komla Agbeke, General
Secretary of the Union of Ewes in Ghana and Togo, urged the youth to strive to
be resourceful and self-reliant.
Togbe Afede, on his
installation a decade ago, rekindled ties between the Ewes of Ghana and Togo as
part of his bridge-building across traditional areas within and outside Ghana.
Every year he leads a
delegation to celebrate the Agbogboza with the chiefs and people of Notsie who
return the visit when the Asogli’s also mark their Yam Festival. Credit: GNA
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