Hohoe, June 2, GNA - Togbega Gabusu VII, Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional area on Thursday advised aggrieved parties in chieftaincy disputes not to initiate the destoolment of any chief without recourse to laid down principles because they lacked the authority to do so. He said any aggrieved party who would be seen pushing for destoolment would be contravening the Chieftaincy Act 370 of 1971, which stipulates among others that all charges of destoolment preferred against any Paramount Chief should be forwarded to the Regional or National Houses of Chiefs or superior Courts for redress. Togbega Gabusu was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Hohoe in the aftermath of his mediation role in disagreements between the Adaklu Paramountcy and a group calling itself Legitimate Representatives of the Chiefs and People of Adaklu on rejoining the newly created Adaklu Anyigbe District with capital at Kpetoe.

He cautioned against the holding of press conferences and related publications on the disagreements, which he said had the tendency to derail or undermine the peace and unity in the area. Togbega Gabusu, also the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, advised the aggrieved parties to revert to dialogue to reach a common ground than maintaining entrenched positions on the matter. He urged them to ward off suspicions, hatred, vengeance and animosity and fight a just course to empower the youth, who are in the majority and underprivileged.

Togbega Gabusu reminded the people that their refusal to join the new district would further bring deprivation, underdevelopment and depravation, the reason for the rumpus, which he said would be an anticlimax. 02 June 06