Open the Aflao Border for us to come and bury our chief – Agotime Chiefs plead with Gov’t

The Executive Coordinator of the Central Funeral Planning Committee for the late Konor (Paramount Chief) of the Agotime Traditional Area, Elvis Ativoe, has on behalf of the chiefs and people of the Traditional Area appealed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to urgently consider opening the country’s Eastern boarders to allow for  the indigenes of the area who live on the other side of the frontier to cross over into Ghana to take part in the final funeral rites of their late Konor – Nene Nuer Keteku III.

The final funeral rites which commenced on Friday, November 12, 2021 will span 10 days and is expected to be crowned with a burial service on Saturday, November 20, after which there would be a grand durbar of Chiefs and Queen mothers.

In an interview with ghananewsonline.com.gh in Accra over the weekend, Mr Ativoe noted that the Agotime Traditional Area straddles between Ghana and Togo and that it is their expectation that chiefs from both countries would actively participate in the funeral.

According to him the continues closure of the boarders and the restrictions on movements across the two countries will make it difficult for the chiefs and people from Togo to come safely to Ghana to bid farewell to their late Konor, and this has become a major cause of concern to the whole traditional area, hence the need for this passionate appeal.

“We want to draw the attention of government to the long overdue closure of our boarders that would allow for the free flow of human traffic between our two countries,” Elvis stated, adding that the people of Agotime Traditional Area live together with their counterparts in Togo as brothers but because of the restrictions the people are unable to co- exist peacefully as in the past, so “we want to appeal to the government to consider opening the boarders in the earliest possible time so that this important traditional rites is not thwarted because of the closure of boarders”.

According to him, the Agotime Traditional Area has over 37 towns and villages and over 20 of these towns are in the republic of Togo over which the late Konor rules as Overlord and “therefore on a very important occasion like this it is very important that the people on the other side of the boarder are also able to join their brothers on the Ghanaian side so that together and collectively we can bid farewell to our great and illustrious Chief, Nene Nuer Keteku III”

Asked whether the call for the opening of the boarders was not coming in too late in view of the fact that the final funeral rites is starting just next week, Mr. Ativoe said the people of Agotime Traditional Area are aware that the government is a listening one, and that President Nana Akufo-ADDO himself having hailed from a traditional home and one who takes issues of tradition and customs seriously will listen to their passionate appeal and would ease the restrictions to allow for a successful final rites for the late paramount chief, who is one of only three Konors in the whole of Ghana.

By Nelson Ayivor || ghananewsonline.com.gh