Kpalime Traditional Council inaugurated, appeals to govt for development

The Kpalime Traditional Area, located in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region, has officially attained Traditional Council status and was recently inaugurated in a formal ceremony.

The area comprises communities such as Wegbe, Kpale Kpalime, Todome Kpalime, Tsatee Kpalime, Kaira Kpalime, Toh Kpalime, Hiama Kpalime, and Kpalime Duga.

Leadership and inauguration ceremony
The council will be led by Togbega Atikpladza Agbi Yao VIII, the Chief of Kpalime Duga, known privately as Emmanuel Mawuyram Osae.
Under his guidance, the council aims to foster unity, peace, and development within the area.
Emmanuel Davies, Magistrate Court Judge at Peki, administered the oath of office to Togbega Agbi Yao VIII, installing him as the council’s president.

During the ceremony, Togbega Agbi Yao VIII honoured the area’s forefathers who had long aspired to establish this council.
He also congratulated the current generation for committing to securing traditional council status.
Togbega Agbi Yao VIII appealed to government help address the development challenges facing area including bad roads, lack of potable water, educational infrastructure and employment opportunities for the youth.

Expansion of traditional councils in the region
Kpalime joins 13 other new Traditional Councils in the Volta Region as part of efforts to strengthen traditional leadership nationwide.
The new councils include Agortime, Ave Dakpa, Sokpoe, Agave, Anfoeta, Klefe, Botoku, Kpedze, Sokode, Akrofo, Kpenoe, and Takla Traditional Councils, as well as Kome Shime and Kpalime Traditional Areas.
This addition brings the total number of traditional councils in the region closer to 80, among the 100 paramountcies within the Volta Region.

Duties and structure of the new Council
Mr. Nsiah Baafi, Chief Registrar at the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, led the inauguration, representing the sector minister.
Additionally, Mr. Harry Attipoe, Registrar of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, supervised the swearing-in ceremony.
The council is expected to play an active role in judicial adjudications related to chieftaincy matters and will soon establish formal committees and administrative structures.

ThThe inauguration ceremony emphasized the importance of unity within traditional areas, urging communities to collaborate and strengthen traditional leadership to positively impact their regions.
The Traditional Council’s establishment is seen as part of a broader initiative to promote peace, unity, and inter-community relationships across the Volta Region.
Its role will further enhance traditional governance, enabling paramount chiefs to better mediate disputes, uphold cultural practices, and drive development.

Broader initiative to strengthen traditional governance
The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has launched an ambitious project to inaugurate approximately 80 traditional councils in the Volta Region by the end of November.
The Volta Region, home to the largest number of paramount chiefs in Ghana, leads this nationwide initiative to enhance traditional authority’s role in community governance

Dignitaries and festival heritage
Notable attendees included Deiga Kwadzo Dei XII (Paramount Chief of the Peki Traditional Area), Mr. Godwin Kwame Dadzawa (South Dayi District Chief Executive), Togbe Asamoah XII (Mankrado of Kpalime Wegbe), Togbe Avali Kwadzo IV (Chief of Tsate) and Mr. Harry Attipoe among others
The Kpalime Traditional Area is also renowned for its annual Kpalikpakpa Zã, or Kpalikpakpa Festival, held each

December to honour the bravery of ancestors during their migration from Notsie, Togo.
This festival, established in 1997, rotates between communities each year and includes a pilgrimage to Kpalimé, Togo, fostering cultural ties across the border.