The story takes place about thirty kilometers from the capital Lomé. In Abobo-Kpoguédé, the life of the inhabitants now rhymes with the presence of two crowned heads. The partition of the village is set in motion with desperate attempts to induct a new chief.
In the beginning, and for those who know a little about the canton of Abobo, there was only one village called Abobo-Kpoguédé. This legendary name is undergoing a metamorphosis which announces the division into two of the village and its corollary of division within the locality.
Indeed, according to information that has reached us from people from Abobo-Kpoguédé, he is preparing on the sly the enthronement of Togbui Mensah Hermann Dovon Djikounou V as Chief of the village of Kpolokougomé. Order No. 0020/MATDCL recognizing the appointment of a village chief has been signed since January 2019, but it is disputed.
To understand the root of the problem, we must go back to the creation of the village of Abobo-Kpoguédé, which consists of two districts, namely Djita and Kpolokougomé. Since the time of the Germans, the chiefdom has been held by a single family which is at its 4th head who reigns over the Djita and Kpolokougomé districts.
This chiefdom was ensured in peace and cohesion until 2011 when by alchemy, the inhabitants of the village obtained a decree of recognition of their chiefdom. This is Order No. 0004/MATDCL of March 17, 2011 recognizing the designation of Mr. DOVON Mensah, Chief of the village of Abobo-Kpoguédé in the canton of Abobo in the Prefecture of Zio.
“We did not understand how they were able to obtain an order when the traditional chiefdom does not belong to them”, explains a native of the area. “We challenged this order which was subsequently repealed,” he said.
We were able to obtain a copy of Order No. 0170/MATDCL of June 04, 2013 repealing Order No. 0004/MATDCL of March 17, 2011. To sign this repeal, Minister Gilbert Bawara at the time holding the portfolio of the Territorial Administration had recourse to the traditional chieftaincy of the Prefecture of Zio. Wise decision.
In the “minutes of the settlement of the traditional chieftaincy dispute between the Gafa community and the Dovon community” and signed by the Council of Traditional Chiefs of Zio (CCTZ), the Prefectural Committee for the Settlement of the Dispute declares that “The chiefdom of the village dAbobo-Kpoguédé belongs to the Gafa community; Asks the Gafa community to compile the file of the new chief appointed for his official recognition by the public and administrative authorities as the legitimate successor chief of the late Togbui Aklassou Apélété Kokou Gafa, village chief of Abobo-Kpoguédé; The prefectural settlement committee rejects the statements of the Dovon community and orders it to withdraw from its usurping adventure of the chiefdom of Abobo-Kpoguédé”. The minutes signed by seven (07) canton and village chiefs date from March 2, 2012.
On May 8, 2013, Order No. 0154/MATDCL recognizing the designation of a village chief was signed for the benefit of the person designated by the Gafa community. Togbui Dekpanhu Yawovi Agbadan Gafa IV thus receives full powers to lead his village.
It is noted that the DOVON community did not succeed in its attempt to take the chiefdom in Abobo-Kpoguédé. It is therefore to everyone’s surprise that the decree N°0020/MATDCL of January 2019 recognizing Togbui Mensah Hermann Dovon Djikounou V was signed. This time, he no longer tried to be chief of the whole village of Abobo-Kpoguédé, but of the Kpolokougomé district transformed on the decree into the village of Kpolokougomé.
This recognition therefore divides the village of Abobo-Kpoguédé into two new villages. After the failure of the attempt to take over the traditional chiefdom, we come to that of the division of the village.
To get Togbui Dovon’s version, we tried in vain to contact him. On the first and second day, his phone was inaccessible; on the third day he did not pick up our numerous calls that we made through several numbers. The person concerned has also not replied to our text messages for several days.
Writing
Source: The Corrector / lecorrecteur.info
