History of the people of abutia
The Abutia Traditional Area is an Ewe speaking community. It is about three (3) minutes’ drive west of Sokodé and between latitudes 6.33˚ 3ˈN and 6.93˚ 6ˈN and longitudes 0.17˚ 4ˈE and 0.53˚ 39ˈE. It has a total land area of about 604 square kilometres.
In Glime, the people of Abutia were called “Yorveawo” (people unwilling to go into the grave) and “Adanuawo” (advisers or people full of wisdom). This was because the Yorveawo tended to live long and were therefore experienced, knowledgeable and wise hence they were often approached for counselling and advice. The traditional duty of the Yorveawo in the Notsie kingdom was serving as special counsel to King Agorkoli and the entire kingdom in times of disputes and other important state matters as well as custodians of the customs, traditions and practices of the kingdom.
MIGRATION FROM NOTSIE
Comparatively, the Yorveawo lived a relatively free and happier life than most of their compatriots under King Agorkoli and they believed that it was their gods that helped them to win the favour of all and therefore revered their gods. When most of the Ewes decided to migrate because of the tyranny of King Agorkoli, however, the Yorveawo also complied because they could not betray the trust of their tribe as it was a collective decision taken by all the people on oath.
The Yorveawo and the Gbekorwo (Adaklus) travelled together taking the middle course. The Anlos took the southern route while the Gbis and the Akpinis moved northwards.
Fortifi ed by their gods, the foresight of their priests, the extra ordinary skill and bravery of their warriors, and the special healing powers of their herbalists, the Yorveawo had an advantage for overcoming all obstacles in their way thus the concern of the Yorveawo was not the speed with which to move, but the direction in which to move to fi nd a suitable place for settlement.
EARLY SETTLEMENT
When the Yorveawo crossed into the territory occupied by present-day Ghana one of their most senior leaders was the celebrated hunter Togbe Agbeme. They settled on the sheltered highlands of Agbenutodzi, currently in the Kalakpa Resource Reserve. The Yorveawo made Agbenutodzi their permanent home because it off ered them security from potential attacks from other tribes. However, they were later compelled to reconsider that decision as water was not easy to fi nd on top of the Agbenutodzi. Their crops soon began failing while their animals died routinely. In addition to the hostile weather, constant attacks from wild animals like leopards, lions and hyenas made life miserable on the Agbenutodzi.
Further, the Yorveawo had to descend into the valley for foodstuff and water routinely. Since women had the task of fetching water and foodstuff s, they led the complaints that “abua di di ti ame“, meaning they were tired or fed up with descending the hill. It is from the innocuous expression – “abua di di ti ame” – that the present-day name of the Yorveawo – ABUTIA – was derived.
The tense atmosphere created by the hardships on the Agbenutodzi and the complaints about having to descend the hill to fetch water and foodstuff compelled the elders of the Yorveawo to accept for the Yorveawo to leave Agbenutodzi and to continue the search for a more congenial settlement.
The task to lead the search for a more congenial settlement for the people of Abutia fell to Foli, the fi rst son of Togbe Agbeme, a skilled and accomplished hunter himself. Foli led an expedition in search of greener pastures, travelling northwards where he hopped to fi nd a place with a more ready supply of water and better protection from wild animals. Foli discovered a virgin forest and returned to break the news to his people in Abutia. The elders of Abutia sent Foli back with a team to assess the new land. Unfortunately, however, Foli met his untimely death in strange circumstances at the new homeland. When news of Foli’s death reached Abutia many people travelled from Abutia to attend his funeral – “Foli do me”. When the people from Abutia saw the fertile land that Foli discovered most of them opted to stay there rather than return to Abutia. Subsequently, they became known as “Foli do me torwo”- meaning “those who attended Foli’s funeral”. Today the place Foli discovered is called Fodome. Thus, the people of Abutia and Fodome are one and the same people, sharing a common ancestral and cultural heritage, religious and customary practices.
Agbenuto and its surrounding hills are still a part of the Abutia Traditional Area under the management of the Department of Game and Wildlife as a Game and Forest Reserve. From Agbenutodzi the people of Abutia dispersed into their present settlements – Teti, Agove and Kloe.
The lush green vegetation and large arable lands of Abutia proved to be an irresistible lure to other groups of Ewe-speaking tribes from Tongu and the people of Abutia received them with open arms in the western part of the Kalakpa Resource Reserve leading to the creation of the Agordeke community. However, due to the low-lying nature of the land, they suff ered from frequent fl ooding after heavy rains, so with the permission of landowners in Agove and Kloe, they moved further upward to their current settlement now known as Kpota. Subsequently, other communities of Tongu descent, including Kissifl ui, Kpogadzi, Norvisi, Amesianyakofe, Dangbe, Sebekofe, Hlorve, Fosime, Avetakpo, Wukpo, Togbave, Tegbleve, Gbetekpo, Agortive, Tedeafenu, Adegblevi, and several others developed.
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES IN ABUTIA
Traditional Religion
As mentioned earlier the people of Abutia had been involved in traditional worship since Notsie. Thus, in the early days of Abutia the fi rst monument that welcomed visitors to Teti were two gods – “Dente” the chief god of security and “Dzotame”, the horn-headed god. “Dzotame” was the god of war in charge of defence. Both gods protected the town from enemies, diseases, evil spirits and all kinds of misfortune. At the same time both were responsible for the prosperity of the people and fertility of both humans and animals. Just behind the “Dente” was the shrine of “Gadzamawu”, the rain god brought from Gadza in present-day Republic of Togo when there was a severe drought in Abutia at the time of the descent of the Yorveawo from Agbenutodzi.
The worship of these gods, and many others, was widespread in Abutia because of the special privileges which the people enjoyed at Notsie which they attributed to the help of their gods. The people of Abutia derive our discipline and reverence for our traditional authorities from our taboos and general norms linked to these gods. The gods, Chiefs and the custodians of the gods were greatly revered. For instance, the Atando became a famous fetish which was consulted by many people from within and outside Abutia for success of their businesses, long life, fertility, protection and the cure of all types of diseases.
Christianity
Christianity reached Abutia through Kloe in 1888 from where it spread to other parts of Abutia. Many of the Evangelical Presbyterian (E. P.) Church congregations in Eweland (both Ghana and Togo) were established by Missionaries of the North German Mission Society (Norddeutsche Mission), better known as the Bremen Mission. These missionaries fi rst settled at Peki in 1847; and later opened stations at Keta in 1853; Adaklu Waya in 1856; Anyako in 1857; and Ho in 1859. The missionaries routinely passed through Tsito to carry out evangelism activities on their way to Peki from Ho and vice versa.
In the early 1870s, there was a Ga-speaking merchant, called Hesse who was an evangelist at Tsito Awudome but trekked occasionally to Abutia Kloe to preach the gospel. His first disciples in Abutia were a group of young men who had earlier been exposed to Christianity during a brief stay in the Gold Coast. Abutia was then under German colonisation. These young men, who later became the pioneers and founding fathers of the Abutia Kloe Bremen Mission, now the E. P. Church, included Elias Kodzo Amoa (their leader), Moses Diaba, Daniel Sika, Solomon Komla, Joseph Kosi Boateng and Gideon Kwasi.
There was no teacher of the gospel in Abutia at that time, so the pioneers trekked to Tsito Awudome for their lessons to prepare them for baptism. They were baptized and confi rmed as full members of the church in 1889 in Tsito from where they returned to establish the Church in Abutia Kloe in 1890. Elias Amoa Kodzo became the fi rst Presbyter (Hamemega). The new Bremen Mission in Abutia Kloe was warmly received by the people and the traditional authorities as well. Togbe Benyakoe (Gagble) of Gangba and Togbe Adza Kodzo of Gblevi provided material support to the incipient church. The latter off ered his sitting room (Avaga) to the Church for worship and lessons for children. Togbe Benyakoe graciously granted a plot of land to the Church on which the Old Mission Station was built.
The fi rst permanent chapel and school were built at the Old Mission Station (Bu Todome) in 1890, from where the gospel spread to Agove and Teti. In 1900, Togbe Adza Dra VI, Dufi a of Agove, (known in private life as Togbe Abraham Kofi Adom), Togbe Adza Kwami Kuma, Mankrado of Agove, (known in private life as Paul Akli), Yakobo Gonyo, Arnold Sokpolu, and Erdhad Agbokuma were baptized into the Kloe congregation and became the first group of converts from Agove and began to attend Sunday worship at Kloe. In 1912, Alfred Komla Odum, Jonathan Anani, Noah Adzado, Helmut Monu and Daniel Adzaku who received their catechumen instruction at Kloe, returned to Teti to set up the E. P. Church.
While the Evangelical Presbyterian Church remains the dominant religious sect in Abutia today, other churches have since made Abutia their home including White Cross Society, Global Evangelic Church, Roman Catholic Church, New Apostolic Church, Church of Christ, Lord Brotherhood, Light House Chapel International, and Assemblies of God.
FORMAL EDUCATION
The introduction of formal education into Abutia was closely associated with the E. P. Church. Alongside the establishment of the Kloe Bremen Mission Church, was the establishment of the Ewe Infant Presbyterian School also in 1890 with Moses Amoah and Stephen Doh as their fi rst teachers at Kloe. Alfred Komla Odum, Jonathan Anani, Noah Adzado, Helmut Monu and Daniel Adzaku who had received catechumen instruction at Kloe, returned to Teti where they established the school under the auspices of the E. P. Church in 1912. Subsequently, Mr. Winfred Agbetornyo was sent to the school by the Bremen Mission from Ho, to manage the school started by the local people. From these humble beginnings formal education spread through the Abutia communities producing men and women who transformed their communities while also serving their country.
LEADERSHIP AND DIVISIONS IN ABUTIA TRADITIONAL AREA
TETI DIVISION
The Teti Division began forming in the15th century AD around Yorveawo who were fed up with climbing the Agbenuto. They gave the reason that they were tired or fed up with climbing the hill – “to ti ame” – hence the name “Abutia Teti”.
Teti Division is the head of the Abutia Traditional Area and, therefore, hosts the seat of the Paramountcy.
The sub-divisions or clans of Teti are:
Hlorviafe Clan
This is the royal clan of the Paramount Stool of Abutia and the ruling clan of the Abutia Paramountcy.
Nyive Clan
This clan provides the Avafi aga (Warlord) of Abutia Traditional area.
Agbakoe Clan
This clan provides the Mankrado of Abutia Teti and has additional responsibility, in consultation with the chiefs of the other clans of the Teti Division, to administer the Teti Division on behalf of the Paramount Chief who then devotes his time to the aff airs of the entire Abutia State.
Axor Clan
This clan are the landlords of Abutia Teti. The occupant of the Axor Stool is the next in line after the Mankrado. This is the normal practice since the lands of the Teti Division (community) belongs to the Axor Clan. The Akpo family from Axor Clan are also the senior linguists (Tsiamiga) of the paramount stool.
Deme Clan
This clan is headed by the Akplor Bediaku stool. They oversee the customs, traditions and rituals performed for the smooth running of Teti Division.
Ahanoe Clan
This clan also provides Tsiamiga to the paramount stool and the chief priest of the Zodzi Deity, (the Mother Earth).
Worme-Gake
This clan are the custodians of the Hogbe-Ga (Kpodoga) which was used to lead the Yorveawo from Hogbe to Agbenutodzi. They are also the custodians of the Tordzé Deity of Teti.
Foliviwo
This clan, are the matrilineal cousins to the Royal Hlorviafe Clan, and are also in charge of the Kpaya Deity.
AGOVE DIVISION
Agove Division is the second division after Teti. It is headed by the Adza Dra Stool. The Occupant of the Adza Dra Stool is the Divisional Chief (Dufi a) of Agove and the most senior Divisional Chief of Abutia, which makes him the second most senior traditional ruler in the Abutia Traditional Area after the Paramount Chief of Abutia Traditional Area and President of the Abutia Traditional Council. He assumes the reigns of Abutia in the absence of the Paramount Chief.
Sub-divisions or clans of Agove are:
Fonse Clan
Fonse Clan is the Royal Clan of the Agove Division with the occupant of the Fonse Stool being the Dufi a of Agove. The Fonse Division is the custodian of the Atando Deity, for and on behalf, of the Abutia Traditional Area.
Atito Clan
The Atito Clan installs the linguists of Togbe Adza Dra VII, Dufi a of Abutia Agove and his Queen mother, Mama Dragbo.
Fonse Anyigbe Clan
The Fonse Anyigbe Clan originated from the Fonse Clan so does not have a chief. The clan’s sole responsibility is providing the chief drummer (Wugafi a) to the Adza Dra Stool.
Asafofi a of Abutia Agove
The Adzowu family is the sole family vested with the power to nominate, confi ne and install the Asafofi a of Agove. The fi rst Asafofi a of Agove, Togbe Adzowu Kosi, came from Adzowu Kosi’s seat and was succeeded by Adzowu Attah from Adzowu Yawo’s seat. On June 21, 2023, the Chiefs and elders installed Albert Donkor from Adzowu Kwamla seat as the Asafofi a of Agove under the traditional name Asafofi a Togbe Awunu Akplonudeka as the Asafofi a of Abutia Agove.
In May 2023 the Chiefs and people of Agove performed the required customs and designated the Adzowu family as the sole family to nominate, confi ne and install the Asafofi a of Abutia Agove.
Agormatse Clan
The head of the Agormatse Clan is the Mankrado, under the Stool name Akpli Bediako. The Mankrado is the most senior Sub-Chief of Agove Division and sits on the right of the Dufi a of Abutia Agove. He is the custodian of the Agove Stool and is the Kingmaker to the (Senior Divisional stool). In the absence of the Dufi a of Abutia Agove the Mankrado acts.
Agormatseyaa Clan
Agormatseyaa Clan is the Megbefi a to the Dufi a of Abutia Agove. The tradition in the clan is to rotate the chieftaincy among the three family lines. When a Chief is appointed from one family line, the Queen and Linguist are selected from another family line. The current chief, Togbe Akoe Dake I, is from the Kofoya, Letsu, and Antebua lineage, while Mama Dakebia is from the Aditsre, Opare, and Sokpo family line. The Linguist is chosen from the Kofoya, Letsu, and Antebua family.
Dome Clan
Dome Clan is the Ngorgbefi a to the Dufi a of Abutia Agove. Ascending to the Deh Kwasi Stool is by rotation between two gates. The fi rst gate comprises the following families, Geh, Bebiansah Krah, Paparku, Ehlodo and Atsu. The second gate includes, Afl o, Gbadago and Tanihunu.
Axor Clan
The Axor Clan is headed by Foli-Dake Stool. The Chief of Axor, who is the head of the clan seats to the right of the Dufi a of Abutia Agove. The Axor Clan are the landowners of Abutia Agove.
KLOE DIVISION
Kloe Division is the third division of the Abutia Traditional Area and is headed by the Kwame Ayipey Stool. The occupant of the Kwame Ayipey Stool is the third most senior traditional ruler of Abutia.
The Sub-divisions or Clans of Kloe are:
Gangba Clan
Gangba Clan is the Royal Clan of the Kloe Division with the occupant of the Gangba Stool being the Dufi a of Kloe.
Kloetia Clan
Adeyime Clan
Dome Clan
Alordoe Clan
Gblevi Clan
Gblevi Dome Clan
Christianity
Christianity reached Abutia through Kloe in 1888 from where it spread to other parts of Abutia. Many of the Evangelical Presbyterian (E. P.) Church congregations in Eweland (both Ghana and Togo) were established by Missionaries of the North German Mission Society (Norddeutsche Mission), better known as the Bremen Mission. These missionaries fi rst settled at Peki in 1847; and later opened stations at Keta in 1853; Adaklu Waya in 1856; Anyako in 1857; and Ho in 1859. The missionaries routinely passed through Tsito to carry out evangelism activities on their way to Peki from Ho and vice versa.
In the early 1870s, there was a Ga-speaking merchant, called Hesse who was an evangelist at Tsito Awudome but trekked occasionally to Abutia Kloe to preach the gospel. His first disciples in Abutia were a group of young men who had earlier been exposed to Christianity during a brief stay in the Gold Coast. Abutia was then under German colonisation. These young men, who later became the pioneers and founding fathers of the Abutia Kloe Bremen Mission, now the E. P. Church, included Elias Kodzo Amoa (their leader), Moses Diaba, Daniel Sika, Solomon Komla, Joseph Kosi Boateng and Gideon Kwasi.
There was no teacher of the gospel in Abutia at that time, so the pioneers trekked to Tsito Awudome for their lessons to prepare them for baptism. They were baptized and confi rmed as full members of the church in 1889 in Tsito from where they returned to establish the Church in Abutia Kloe in 1890. Elias Amoa Kodzo became the fi rst Presbyter (Hamemega). The new Bremen Mission in Abutia Kloe was warmly received by the people and the traditional authorities as well. Togbe Benyakoe (Gagble) of Gangba and Togbe Adza Kodzo of Gblevi provided material support to the incipient church. The latter off ered his sitting room (Avaga) to the Church for worship and lessons for children. Togbe Benyakoe graciously granted a plot of land to the Church on which the Old Mission Station was built.
The fi rst permanent chapel and school were built at the Old Mission Station (Bu Todome) in 1890, from where the gospel spread to Agove and Teti. In 1900, Togbe Adza Dra VI, Dufi a of Agove, (known in private life as Togbe Abraham Kofi Adom), Togbe Adza Kwami Kuma, Mankrado of Agove, (known in private life as Paul Akli), Yakobo Gonyo, Arnold Sokpolu, and Erdhad Agbokuma were baptized into the Kloe congregation and became the first group of converts from Agove and began to attend Sunday worship at Kloe. In 1912, Alfred Komla Odum, Jonathan Anani, Noah Adzado, Helmut Monu and Daniel Adzaku who received their catechumen instruction at Kloe, returned to Teti to set up the E. P. Church.
While the Evangelical Presbyterian Church remains the dominant religious sect in Abutia today, other churches have since made Abutia their home including White Cross Society, Global Evangelic Church, Roman Catholic Church, New Apostolic Church, Church of Christ, Lord Brotherhood, Light House Chapel International, and Assemblies of God.