Stop indiscriminate installation of chiefs - Mafi Manklalo warns

The Manklalo of Mafi Traditional Area in the Central Tongu District, Togbe Brentua Asafo IV, has expressed concern about the indiscriminate installation of chiefs within the Area.

He said such unfortunate and uncustomary installations were being done by a clique of chiefs without the prior approval from his office which is the next to the paramount chief and has the oversight responsibility in such matters.

Addressing a press conference through a spokesperson, Mr William Amartefio, at Mafi Kumase, the Manklalo warned that the practice must stop forthwith to avert any chieftaincy disputes in the area as it undermined the unity and peace of the area.

He said the traditional area was made up of eight divisions headed by Head Chiefs who were also divisional chiefs. At the top of the chieftaincy line of the Mafi state was the Paramount Chief whose stool is currently being contested by three different people due to the matters mentioned above.

Next to the Paramount Chief in command, he said, was the Manklalo who was in charge of all chieftaincy matters, including the process of enstoolment and the introduction of new chiefs to the Paramount Chief, whose position had been vacant for the past 25 years.

Togbe Asafo said the Mafi state also had a traditional military structure below the Maklalo headed by a captain, adding that the structure had been put in place to make sure that all traditional issues were handled through the laid down traditional structures.

He said some of the chiefs and kingmakers had failed to follow these structures by refusing to contact the Manklalo on chieftaincy, leading to the collapse of the administrative structure of the Mafi state and the current chieftaincy mess in the traditional area.

Togbe Manklalo explained further that these acts had led to the installation of three paramount chiefs by three Torfi sub- clans namely, Torfi Bagbe, Tirfi Kekpo, Torfi Aseogboe, creating feud and disunity in some Mafi communities.

One of such factions, he said, had subsequently introduced a rival chief to the Central Tongu District Chief Executive at Adidome on December 6, 2021.

He said these chiefs could not constitute themselves to receive these paramount chiefs on behalf of the Mafi Paramountcy without notifying the Manklalo.

“Mafi Traditional Council cannot sit down to see its administrative structure destroyed. We are not at war with anybody; we only want the right things to be done”, he said.

Togbe Asafo IV, therefore, declared that until all the chiefs installed in Mafi passed through the right channel, he would not recognize them as such.

He stressed the need for all Mafis to unite and come together to disregard and undo the injustices going on in the Mafi Traditional Area.