Anlo Afiadenyigba

Anlo Afiadenyigba (Adzigo)
Anlo Afiadenyigba Location in Ghana
Coordinates: 6°1′27.04″N 0°59′0.79″E
Country	Ghana
Region	Volta Region
District	Keta Municipal District
Time zone	GMT
• Summer (DST)	GMT

Anlo Afiadenyigba is a town in the Volta Region of Ghana. The town is located on the eastern part of the Keta Lagoon.

HISTORY

The people of Anlo Afiadenyigba are descendants of the Anlo Ewe groups who settled in Anloga. The Anlo ancestors migrated from Notsie in central Togo in the mid –seventeenth century (Between the sea and the lagoon). The Anlo ancestors established several small settlements on the southern western and northern shores of the Keta Lagoon. These include Anloga, Woe, Tegbi, Keta, Dzelukorfe, Kedzi, Blekusu, Adina, Alakple, Kodzi in the south, Anyako to the west and Anlo Afiadenyigba is on the northern part.

The conflicts between the Anlo and Keta led to war in 1792 and Keta was razed to the ground. The people of Keta migrated east and founded the Somey State with Agbozume as its traditional capital, on some pieces of land granted to them by Klikor. It was at this time that Salu a hunter from Toviawo clan went to hunt buffalo (tò) and became ill because he could not perform the rightful rituals required of a hunter of that encounter and due to his illness (insanity) went into hiding to settle at a small portion of the land where a small hill is (Korviefe). Dufia Drabese I and the junior paternal brother Aglebe together with a convoy of people from Anloga, Woe, Tegbi and others came to Settle, after a short period settlement at a small island called Bekpo (Hokpo = Boko). Amegashie Afeku a Traditional Herbal and Psychic Healer from Keta came to treat Salu from his illness and brought him back to normalcy for a while. At this formative stage of Anlo Afiadenyigba, the people normally say "afiadeke nyigba mewoa nu na ame woduna o, wò ntor koe worge na dokuiwò hafi adu" (No land produces its food, it is the people who must produce their own food). This common saying among the people to boost their morale during work and in life brought them them together to name the town "Afiadenyigba". The prefix "Anlo" was added later when the people realized there were other towns named Afiadenyigba such as Ada Afiadenyigba, Ave Afiadenyigba and others. Hence the name Anlo Afiadenyigba became the Official name of the town. "Adzigo" was later added but not always pronounced, after the people went for Agoe-Adzigo war at Togo and came back when they observed that the people of Anlo Afiadenyigba equally behave as people of Agoe-Adzigo who always fish in "river gbàgà" everyday without rest. After demise of Dufia Drabese I, his son Akplehe together with Drabese's junior brother Aglebe led the community for a while and also demised. At the time the people of Anlo Afiadenyigba wanted to install another Dufia after the demise of Dufia Drabese I, the whole community decided that the person to be installed from the Dufia Drabese Royal must be their warlord who would be ready to lead them to war at anytime. This decision prompted one of the grandchildren of Dufia Drabese I who was son to Akplehe called Fiafome also known as Kaja or Kajahlo (Kadzahlo) to accept the challenge. Fiafome who became Kaja or Kajahlo (Kadzahlo) consulted three shrines in Anlo Dukor to see his success through the wars upon fulfillment of their conditions. These shrines were Emife at Anloga, Adzenfe at Agave and Nyigbleafe at Afife. Some of the conditions Fiafome (Kaja or Kajahlo "Kadzahlo" agreed to fulfill after he was successful from wars and became the Dufia (Head Chief) were to give two virgins to trorkoshie at that time ( Mama Dzenawo at Emife at Anloga and Mama Dzatugbi at Adzenfe at Agave) but a yearly contribution from Anlo Afiadenyigba township to Nyigbleafe at Afife for yearly Nyigblea Shrine Festive Occasions. Kadzahlo after receiving the war bell ("bliku") from the Anlodukor Warlord "Awadada", therefore led the troop from Anlo Afiadenyigba to Agoe-Adzigo War at Togo, Wedomewa at Kpetoe-Agortime and Dzasutagbawa at Dzasutagba successfully and became the Dufia (Head Chief) Kadzahlo I of Anlo Afiadenyigba. Some of the warriors that served in the camp of Dufia Kadzahlo then were Hodzaley (a brother who could not survive at Kpetoe-Agortime) Kordjodey, Yorxor, Akamu, Kokotsi, Fialor, Dorkenu, Soga, Nyadi, Saba, Alorde, Avuworda, Axorlu, Aboni (who also could not survive at Kpetoe-Agortime) Dzakpasu (also did not survive at Kpetoe-Agortime), Tete-Dziekpor, Kwakutsey Boafo and Ekpey-Subo (from Subo Royal from Anloga). After becoming the Dufia, Kadzahlo I decided to honour the Grandfather Drabese, Aglebe and Salu for being the torchbearers for settlement on the Anlo Afiadenyigba land but was only successful with installing Salu II. Dufia Kadzahlo II also maintain the same honour for Salu by installing Salu III (when he was just four (04) years old). The installation of Aglebe II as an honour identified by Dufia Kadzahlo I became successful only under the auspices of Dufia Kadzahlo IV in December 2021, just three months later after Dufia Kadzahlo IV and Mamaga Dziwornu Ablewor II (The Paramount Queen) were coronated on Saturday-Sunday 11th-12 September, 2021. Dufia Kadzahlo IV granted the due honour to his great-grandfather Dufia Drabese I by compounding his Royal name Dufia Kadzahlo Drabese IV because he thought Dufia Kadzahlo I could rightfully equally be called Dufia Kadzahlo Drabese I (because Drabese should had been a surname for Dufia Kadzahlo I). On 03rd May, 2024 Dufia Kadzahlo was elevated to Paramount Chief (Fiaga) of the Anlo Afiadenyigba Traditional Area. Hence Fiaga Kadzahlo Drabese IV (Paramount Chief) on the throne at the time of this publishing. Some Royal Houses at Anlo Afiadenyigba Traditional Area as at 2024 and their locations/Residence in the Traditional Area: 1. Fiaga Kadzahlo Drabese (The Paramount Chief of Anlo Afiadenyigba Traditional Area) - Ablame 2. Fia Salu - Fiagbaga (Salukorfe) 3. Fia Avuworda - DomeKpornuga 4. Fia Akamu - Agbonuga 5. Fia Saba - Alagbati 6. Fia Axorlu - Ablame 7. Fia Tete-Dziekpor - Ablame 8. Fia Aglebe - DomeKpornuga 9. Fia Ekpey-Subo - DomeKpornuga 10. Fia Kwakutsey Boafo - Dziehe 11. Dzakpasu - Dzakpasukorpe 12. Fia Emesse - Tsavanya 13. Fialor - Dziehe 14. Kokotsi - Dziehe 15. Yorxor - Ablame 16. Dorkenu - Ablame 17. Kordjodey - Alagbati 18. Nyadi Alorde Kamasa - Tengekorfe 19. Soga - Ablame. Some Divisions/Locations yet to be identified with royal houses: Nyravase and Avake-Kpota

Etymology

Ewe adage: Afia deke nyigba mewoa nu na ame woduna o .....

To wit: No land produces its food. It is the people who must produce their food.

Occupation

Most of the inhabitants are fisher folk who fish in the Keta Lagoon. The women trade in fried fish between Ghana and Togo. There is a salt mining when the northern part of the lagoon dies up. Some of the men are kente weavers who sell their work in Agbozume market. Production of coconut oil is common in the area which has a large coconut plantation.

Music

Afiadenyigba has been noted for learning and performing many music dances. Fishermen who traveled out to Benin, Togo or Nigeria learnt many dances which they brought to the town. They go to other towns to teach such drums as Gahu Dance

A music and dance group found in the area is the Gadzo Group founded by the late Mortoo Agbovor in 1939, named after war dance and drum rhythm performed by the community's forefathers as they migrated into Southeastern Ghana.

Education

The town has the Anlo Afiadenyigba Secondary School. The school is a second cycle institution.

There are four basic schools in Anlo Afiadenyigba which has a population of 6740.

Caption text

Name of School	Year Established	Remark
Evangelical Presbyterian Basic School	1903	Public School
Roman Catholic Basic School	1926	Public School
Dunenyo Basic School	1980	Private School
Agorsco Basic School	2004	Private School

Chiefs of Afiadenyigba

These are as follows. 

Division (Residence)	Name of Chief	Designation
Dziehe	Togbi Kwakutse Boafo	Fia
Lagbati	Togbi Saba	Fia
Ablorme	1.Fiaga Kadzahlo Drabese, 2.Torgbi Ahorlu and Torgbi 3.Tete-Dziekpor	1.Dufia/Fiaga(Paramount Chief), 2.Fia, 3.Fia
Kpornuga	1.Togbi Ekpe Subo, 2.Togbi Avuworda and 3.Torgbi Aglebe	1.Fia, 2.Fia, 3.Fia
Agbonuga	Togbi Kamu	Fia
Afiadenyigbaga (Salukorfe)	Togbi Salu	Fia
Tsavanya ,Nyravase,Tengekorfe,Avake-Kpota	Torgbi Emesse, Tomega, Tomega	Fia, Tomega, Tomega, Tomega

Local Government Representation

The town has three assembly members which represent the town at the Keta Municipal Assembly. These are as follows

Name of Assembly Member	Area of Jurisdiction
Hon Gilbert Keklie	Dziehe, Kpornuga, Ablorme,
Hon Amos Kwesi Ametsimey	Agbonuga and Afiadenyigbaga
Hon Jacob Onipayede	Nyravase and Tengekope

References

5 Felix Kuadugah-contributor, Etymology of Anlo Afiadenyigba