Togbe Dzidzorli, a chief of Notsie in the Republic of Togo, ancestral home of the Ewes, says traditional leaders of Ewe communities across West Africa should work together to ease cross border movement.
He said the movement and integration of the Ewe people continued to be hampered by artificial borders despite standing ECOWAS protocols.
Togbe Dzidzorli addressing a summit in Ho, of Ewe community leaders in West Africa, said bureaucracy and other forms of frontier frustrations continued to hamper free movement of a people whose lives were torn between two national borders.
He said chiefs played instrumental roles in the formation of ECOWAS, and that the ease of borders, which was strongly advocated, should remain paramount among its aspirations.
Togbe Dzidzorli said chiefs had heeded the call to support integration, therefore, traditional leaders must advocate the easing the borders.
“All borders must be eased, not only Aflao. We believe that if we chiefs show concern and call on Africa’s political leaders, we won’t suffer in our movement,” he said.
The traditional ruler commended the organisation of the summit, which he said could become the vehicle for the advancement of the Ewe community within the block and should be given the necessary support.
Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia, the President of the Asogli State, said it was important for chiefs to unite and work with one another to remove impediments such as borders.
He said chiefs must continue to play active role in issues of national concern, and that the summit was among efforts at uniting chiefs around development.
“We need to unite so that our unity would benefit our people and our leaders,” Togbe Afede stated.
The Agbogbomefia announced the establishment of an “Institute of African Traditional Leadership”, to be headquartered in Accra, to help bring together traditional leaders of the African race, and cement unity towards the consolidation of resources for accelerated development.
“We will see what we can do to support political leadership to provide jobs and prepare our children for the future- What we can do to prepare the nation for them, so that they become good leaders for the future,” Togbe Afede said.
The over 200 traditional leaders at the summit endorsed the idea and called to ensure it made use of young and intellectual resources among the crop of traditional leaders, towards securing the desired achievements.
Source: GNA
