Meet Togbe Amakwatta III, Ghana’s longest serving chief

• Ruling since 1936

TOGBE Amakwatta III, known in private life as Christian Kojo Tsakpoe has been ruling since 1936. He was born on December 24, 1917 at Saviefe to Togbe Tsakpoe Yao, a farmer, and Madam Florence Abra Agbotse of Kpedze.

He had his elementary school education as far as to Standard five at Ho Kpodzi senior school. His education was cut short when he was installed a Paramount Chief of the Saviefe Traditional Area on June 6, 1936.

On the personal front, he distinguished himself as an industrious and diligent farmer from 1952 to 1969 when he once won the prize as the best “Amazon” Cocoa Farmer in the Volta Region.

As a Paramount Chief, he placed great emphasis on education, which he valued very much. This was partly due to the fact that he was unfortunately denied the opportunity to have higher education and did not want other children to suffer the same fate. He therefore upgraded existing schools to the junior secondary and senior secondary levels.

[ads1]In 1945, the main road from Nyagbo Sroe through Saviefe Agorkpo to Bame Junction was constructed to improve accessibility to and transportation in the area. The road from Nyagbo to Saviefe Agorkpo was later tarred.

He also collaborated with Dr. Bailey of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to grow a 40-acre palm plantation in saviefe as a way of improving agriculture, income levels and ultimately the health status of the citizens in the area.

Another important achievement was that together with Gotlieb Nuake Tsekpo, they founded SASADU, that is the Saviefe, Alavanyo, Sovie and Akrofu Development Union.

SASADU is one of the earliest and strongest unions of traditional areas in the Volta region, and comprises the four traditional areas whose forebears migrated on bloc from “Notsie” in the republic of Togo but settled in different geographic locations. These traditional areas have strong affiliations due to common ancestry.

It was therefore not surprising that at the SASADU celebration at Savie in 1987, Togbe Amakwatta III was honoured by the President of Ghana at the time, for his meritorious services to society.

At the twilight of his life, Togbe Amakwatta is still passionate about enhancing educational standards in the Saviefe traditional area as well as consolidating the peace and unity in Saviefe and the SASADU Community.

On the occasion of the 90th birthday celebration of Togbe Amakwatta III, and 71 years on the stool, your children, grandchildren, great-grand-children, family, in-laws, friends, well wishers, citizens of Saviefe Traditional Area as well as of Alavanyo, Sovie and Akrofu [SASADU Community] wish you good health, prosperity, happiness and God’s guidance.

It is our fervent prayer that God will grant you more years so that we shall continue to drink from the great foundation of wisdom, experience and knowledge that you are endowed with, and which helped you to steer affairs so well in Saviefe Traditional Area and SASADU Community.

Source: Daily Graphic     – Thursday, December 20, 2007         Page: 30