The Paramount Chief of the Anfoega Traditional Area, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV has been elected as the new President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs.
He secured 34 votes to beat the Awomefia of the Anlo State, Togbui Sri III who had 18 votes in an election held on Thursday, at the Secretariat of the Regional House of Chiefs in Ho.
Togbega Patamia Dzekle VII of Battor has also been elected as the Vice President to assist Togbe Tepre Hodo IV.
Ahead of the election, the house engaged in a fierce debate over the appropriateness of the method deployed to secure proxies for chiefs who were unable to attend the sitting.
When the house finally settled, some Chiefs who appointed proxies finally showed up to cast their own ballots, allowing only those who can not come themselves to use the proxies.
The house also elected three other persons including Togbe Afede XIV of the Asogli State, Togbe Gbogbo Lulu of Vakpo and Togbe Dorglo Anuma of Avenor in addition to the new president and vice to represent the Volta region in the National House of Chiefs.
In his maiden speech, president-elect Togbe Tepre Hodo praised the house for electing chiefs who maintained the integrity of the house by remaining politically neutral, when others chose to do otherwise.
He said, “We have always maintained our political neutrality and we think that the decision of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs was to the effect that we will not allow anyone to interfere with the political neutrality of the house and that is what we established today through the elections.”
He urged the house including those who lost the election to join hands to work in the best interest of the house and the people of the Volta region.
Togbe further called on members to continue to do things that would restore the dignity of the house and that of the chieftaincy institution.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/103.5fm/Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu