The Paramount Chief of the Battor Traditional Area in the Volta Region, Togbe Patamia Dzekley VII, has been destooled.
The destoolment of Togben Dzekley VII, also known in private life as Thomas Ametri, was necessitated by gross disobedience and the breach of customs and traditions of the Battor Traditional Area.
According to the Paramount Stool Father of the Dzekley Royal House of the Battor Traditional Area, Zikpoetor Korsi Hottor, the kingmakers, having gone through the performance of the necessary customary rites on November 27, 2022, he ceases to be their traditional ruler.
The conduct of the ex-paramount chief had placed the entire Battor in a state of danger and the kingmakers were left with no other option than to resort to their time-tested customs and traditions for the destoolment of the ex-paramount chief to avert calamity.
The disobediences, according to the Dzekley Stool Father, have dire consequences of stalling the peace, stability and the lives of the people of Battor.
The ex-paramount chief was presented with a list of the violation of the customs and traditions of Battor, which among others were the prevention of the performance of purification rites for the Dzekley Stool for over eight years.
Contemptuous refusal to respond to the said charges and also ignoring the interventions of prominent citizens of Battor and occupants of important government institutions in the area did not augur well for the said chief.
"That it is against our tradition and custom to lock the stool room permanently by any justifiable cause, but Togbega Patamia Dzekley VII locked the stool room for well over seven years against all protestations.
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We the Royals no longer had access to the stool room to perform our traditional and stool rites in line with our tradition and custom.
This unfortunate action, which is in clear violation of our custom and tradition, is threatening the peace of the chiefdom." he said.
That Togbega Patamia Dzekley VII refused to inform his stool father, the elders of the stool about the inauguration of the Battor Traditional Council and the use of the palace and the stool house as office of the Battor Traditional Council.
"The kingmakers of Dzekley stool hereby give notice to all concerned institutions that Mr Thomas Ametri ceases to be known and called Torgbe Patamia Dzekley VII, and does not have the authority of the Battor state to represent it ."
Consequently, all courtesy accorded to him had been withdrawn forthwith.
The kingmakers of the Dzekley Stool will introduce the occupant of the Dzekley stool and the paramount Chief of Battor to the general public in due course," Zikpoetor Korsi Hottor stated.
