Dear Botoku: Our history belongs to us, and so does our voice

Dear citizens and friends of Botoku, I am writing this letter to you directly, not just as a fellow Ghanaian but as a writer who has spent years researching our shared history. In my recent article in The Ghanaian Times, I focused on a national audience, but now I write specifically for you and your friends. Please know that I approach this sensitive subject with the utmost respect and intention to honor our ancestors.

Our history is not a story to be told merely for the purpose of causing distress or shame. Instead, it is a tale that demands honesty and courage. I acknowledge that discussing painful aspects of our past may be uncomfortable, but such honesty is crucial for our reconciliation and understanding.

For years, I have witnessed the frustrations of Botoku leaders in courtrooms across the nation. Why must every disagreement be taken to judges, rather than resolved through peaceful means? My research into our history has changed my perspective. While our chiefs and elders have sought resolution through colonial courts, this was not a sign of weakness but rather a strength that allowed Botoku to maintain our way of life.

I express my gratitude to Kpale and Kledzasi for upholding this tradition of peaceful resolution. These cases also left us with a valuable legacy: records that allow later generations to hear the voices of our ancestors. My late co-author, Lt. Col. F.M.K. Asamoah, and I dedicated many years to listening to Botoku chiefs and elders, examining historical records, and compiling a comprehensive history of our people.

It is essential to recognize that Botoku history predates the rule of Togbe Sei. Our traditions remember earlier leadership associated with Togbe Alagadawoe, and our ancestors' migration from Notsie. Over generations, chieftaincy evolved, with Akan influence playing a significant role in shaping the system we know today.

Now, I pose a question: if Kledzasi can claim the stool by looking back to Togbe Sei, why cannot descendants of Togbe Alagadawoe or other clans make their own claims? If history allows for choosing the point that best supports one's position, then it loses its meaning. We must remember that Sei and Sei Ama were brother and sister. Therefore, the royal descendants of Kledzasi and Kpale are not strangers or enemies but part of the same family.

We should cherish our kinship, dignity, friendship, love, and the possibility of forgiveness when disputes end. The elders of Botoku expressed this wisdom beautifully: even when chickens fight, they remain careful of each other's eyes. Our disagreements may be passionate, but there are values we should never destroy.

I must also address an uncomfortable aspect of our history that was not fully published in my book. Togbe Sei's sister, Sei Ama, married into Kpale, and one of her children was sacrificed during the consecration of the paramount stool. This practice granted her surviving children and their descendants the right to inherit the stool. However, we omitted this story as the elders requested, as they feared it might frighten younger generations from pursuing chieftaincy.

Today, as this dispute unfolds, I believe it is my responsibility to share the full truth with you and to encourage young people to learn about their family and clan history. Our history began long before Togbe Sei, and claiming the stool should not be confined solely to his descendants. Every clan has the right to seek its roots and establish its rightful place in Botoku's history.