Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa II enstooled Fodome Paramount Chief

Togbega Gbedegbleme Koku Akpatsa II has been enstooled as the 19th Paramount Chief of the Fodome Traditional Area in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta region.

Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa II, who is known in private life as Squadron Leader Timothy Wisdom Akpatsa (Rtd) was enstooled after the demise and final funeral rites of his predecessor Togbega Gbedegbleme Honu III.

Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa, a native of Fodome Helu, born on 15th August 1961 said his vision for the Fodome Traditional area was on promoting cohesion and unity of the traditional area and deepening the culture of the people of Fodome.

He said he would also prioritise education, training and skills-development of the youth, health and environmental needs of the entire Fodome Traditional Area.

“Each of the four elements of my vision is a major undertaking that will require a great deal of research, insight, commitment, and resources to pursue and achieve. This means that pursuing all the four requires tremendous efforts,” he added.

Togbega Gbedegbleme Akoatsa said in pursuit of his vision, he would be guided by the principles of commitment to always work in consultation with his council of elders and the people of Fodome.

He said for the effective administration and management of the Area, he intended to begin with pursuing the formal establishment of Fodome Traditional Council comprising eight divisional towns.

Togbega Gbedegbleme said he would use persuasion instead of force and violence in resolving all disputes and conflicts within the Fodome Traditional Area and between the people of the Area and its neighbours and allies.

“Even in the face of extreme provocation, I pledge to use dialogue, reason and persuasion as the primary approach in resolving all differences. I would rather use the scarce resources of my people for their education and development than waste them on war and other forms of conflict,” he said.

Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa noted that the Hohoe Campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) was being developed for the start of academic work and therefore called on investors and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities and invest in both upstream and downstream industries of the area.

Reverend Johnson Avuletey, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister lauded the peaceful nature in which the Fodome Traditional Council selected a paramount chief for the area and added that it was admirable.

He asked Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa to support government’s flagship programmes such as the Planting for Food and Jobs and Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), which were aimed at improving standards of living and tackling issues of graduate unemployment.

Mr. Andrews Teddy Ofori, the Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) said government and the Assembly had been committed to initiating and completing projects within the Fodome Traditional Area in areas of roads, education and health.

He said the Assembly had plans advanced to revamp the ‘non-functioning’ Zonal Councils in the Area in order to make them effective for the development of the Area and the Municipal Assembly.

Goodwill messages were delivered by Professor Margaret Kweku, the Hohoe Constituency National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate and Mr. John Peter Amewu, Minister for Energy and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Hohoe Constituency with a call on residents to play their roles effectively to make Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa's reign a success.

Togbega Gbedegbleme Akpatsa currently works as Chief of the Aviation Technical Compliance Unit at the United Nation’s Secretariat in Mali where he commands a fleet of over 75 aircrafts and married to Mrs. Joyce Bernadette Akpatsa, an Estate Officer. The two are blessed with three children.

The occasion was graced by all chiefs from the eight Fodome divisional towns, Togbega Abutia Kojo Gidi, Paramount Chief of Abutia, Chiefs and queen mothers from Kpando, Gbefi and Gbi Traditonal Area, political and religious leaders, members from the Diplomatic Community and residents of Fodome.