Source: Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Woeto-Anyako
The immediate past Registrar of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs at Ho, Mr. Harry Anthony Ahorga Attipoe, has been outdoored at a colourful event as the new Fiator of the Duklui Attipoe Royal Stool of Anyako in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region.
The ceremony, which was attended by several family members and some traditional rulers from far and near, also saw the formal introduction of the Linguist and other Stool Officers, including Mr. Amuzu Adorkor Attipoe as Linguist and Mr. Kofi Aguadze Attipoe as Regent.
The outdooring event was characterized by a rich cultural procession and display, depicting some of the traditional values, customs, and traditions of the chiefs and people of Anyako, and, for that matter, the Anlo State.
Family members, including the Head of the Obam-Attipoe family, Mr. Michael Attipoe, friends, as well as well-wishers from far and near, graced the occasion in their numbers. A number of traditional rulers from the region were also in attendance.
Fiator Harry Anthony Attipoe is a seasoned Leader and an Administrator with thirty-five (35) years of experience in the Chieftaincy Institution in the country.
The ceremony saw Mr. Harry Attipoe being taken through the symbolic and unique traditional decoration by the host Chief, Torgbui Duklui Attipoe V.
The Chairman of the Royal Duklui Attipoe Stool Council, Dr. Lawyer Joe Attipoe, followed with the administration of the oath of office to the new Fiator to the joy and admiration of all and sundry gathered and present at the function.
In his coronation speech, Fiator Harry Ahorga Attipoe was grateful to the Duklui Attipoe Royal Stool and family for the honour done him. He pledged his willingness and commitment to using his acquired skills and knowledge over the years for the benefit of the entire family.
He told journalists in an interview later on that he decided to accept the challenge and responsibility because he intended to mend all the cracks in the family. According to Mr. Attipoe, he would ensure that the line of succession in the Duklui Attipoe family is not only codified into customary law but also passed or approved by Ghana’s Parliament. This, he believes, would go a long way to reduce, if not eliminate, all the cracks and disunity in the family.
Mr. Attipoe disclosed that it is only the Avatime Traditional Area in the Ho West District of the Volta Region that has codified its succession line or policy into customary law in the whole of the Volta Region. ‘This is the more reason why I am bent on making my family a role model in the Anlo setup, ’ Mr. Attipoe emphasized.
The new Fiator used the occasion to urge all nine (9) gates of the family to come together for what he described as the execution of this project. This, according to him, would enable the family to become a role model not only for Anyako and the Volta Region but also for Ghana as a whole.
Chief of the Duklui Attipoe Royal Stool, Torgbui Duklui Attipoe V, was grateful to the family for the support so far received in his royal journey over the years. He recalled with nostalgia the efforts of the late Torgbui Duklui Attipoe I, whose unwavering efforts led to the construction of the road to Anyako town.
According to him, the role of the Attipoe family in Ghana’s independence struggle as proudly exhibited in the 28th February, 1948, Christianborg Castle cross-road shooting incident by Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Gagbale Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, cannot be over-emphasized. He disclosed that plans are far advanced to institutionalize the celebration of such family heroes at home for the younger generations to be educated and inspired by their forebears, who were distinguished warriors at the time.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Keta, Hon. Wisdom Seade, who was the Guest of Honour, commended the Royal Duklui Attipoe family for the initiative and hoped that the selection of Mr. Harry Attipoe as Fiator would positively impact the family and the chieftaincy institution at Anyako and beyond.
Fiator Harry Anthony Ahorga Attipoe is currently the Consultant to the Volta Regional House of Chiefs (VRHS) at Ho. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Stool Council of the Duklui Attipoe Royal Stool. His worth of experience in managing Traditional Councils and working with government institutions and community organizations has taught him the importance of building strong partnerships among diverse stakeholders in various Traditional Areas.
Fiator Anthony Attipoe has a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Public Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) as well as a Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy from the same university. He also holds an LLB law degree from the Faculty of Law of the same Institute.
‘Chieftaincy and Traditional Authority in a Modern Democratic Ghana’, South African Journal of Philosophy, Volume 40, 2020, and ‘The Chieftaincy in the Global Economy’ are some of the publications to his name.
Fiator Harry Anthony Ahorga Attipoe is a man of many languages. He is fluent in English, Ewe, Ga, Dangme, and Twi.
