Local chiefs are pushing back hard on some shady blog posts. The Volta Region House of Chiefs, led by President Togbe Tepre Hodo IV and Vice President Togbega Patalia Dzekley VII, slammed online reports from sites like Soireenews.com that accused them of corruption and illegally approving chiefs in the Agave Traditional Area. They called the claims totally false and rooted in a misunderstanding of the rules.
They explained the process for putting a chief on the national register. When Togbega Xedihor Hlitabo IV's papers were sent, there was no Agave Traditional Council to review them, so the Regional House handled it as required. They also acted on a directive from the National House of Chiefs to process forms even if court cases were pending, a rule applied to many other chiefs, too. They stated only sixteen Agave chiefs were ever approved, not twenty-four as alleged. The real issue in Agave is a deep split between chiefs that paralyzes their council, something the Regional House says it cannot fix. They even revealed the Vice President once refused a request from Togbega Xedihor Hlitabo IV himself to bend the rules. The chiefs asked the public to ignore the stories, reiterating their commitment to proper procedure.
They explained the process for putting a chief on the national register. When Togbega Xedihor Hlitabo IV's papers were sent, there was no Agave Traditional Council to review them, so the Regional House handled it as required. They also acted on a directive from the National House of Chiefs to process forms even if court cases were pending, a rule applied to many other chiefs, too. They stated only sixteen Agave chiefs were ever approved, not twenty-four as alleged. The real issue in Agave is a deep split between chiefs that paralyzes their council, something the Regional House says it cannot fix. They even revealed the Vice President once refused a request from Togbega Xedihor Hlitabo IV himself to bend the rules. The chiefs asked the public to ignore the stories, reiterating their commitment to proper procedure.
