Battor unveils statue in memory of Late Paramount Queen Mother.
Saturday, October 29, 2022
A statue in memory of the late Paramount Queenmother of the Battor Traditional Area in the North Tongu district of the Volta Region has been unveiled at a solemn but impressive ceremony at Aveyime. Mamaga Asieku III who passed on some twenty (20) years ago, was instrumental in the development of the Battor State including the establishment of the Battor Catholic Hospital.
The unveiling of the statue of Mamaga Asieku III coincided with the 20th anniversary celebration of her demise in 2002 after serving her people not only as one of the few Chiefs in Ghana but also as Paramount Queenmother of the Battor State for several decades.
The event was witnessed by a large number of family members as well as some residents and citizens of Battor from far and near amidst a lot of rich cultural performances and displays by the Mepe Dadome D. A. Basic School Cultural Troupe.
The consecration and unveiling ceremony of the statue was under the auspices of the Superintendent Minister of the Aveyime Circuit of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Very Rev. Charles C. Danquah with support from the Very Rev. Philip Tsatsu Kofi Norgbodzi from the Methodist Church, Ghana, Headquarters in Accra.
In a statement after the unveiling event, a spokesperson for the family, Mr. Edem Dzirasa described Mama Asieku III as a strong pillar behind the development of the Battor State. According to him, the late Paramount Queenmother distinguished herself as a leader known for her wisdom, integrity and generosity, adding that she was instrumental in the establishment of the Battor Catholic Hospital and also advocated for the construction of the Sege-Aveyime-Battor main road.
Mr. Dzirasa noted that under her leadership, the Battor community enjoyed electricity, potable water, schools and an oil processing factory that gave employment to several women. ‘Among her greatest accomplishments are the introduction of an adult literacy programme and the abolishment of the Trokosi System which enslaved young women’, Mr. Dzirasa intimated.
He made it clear that the monument was dedicated to the memory of Mamaga Asieku III not only to inspire the citizens of Battor and its environs to stand up for the rights of every man, woman and child in the community but also advocate for the development and the protection of the lands and all resources of the current and future generations of Battor.
The Manklalo of the Battor Traditional Area, Togbe Hevi Borbordzi VII called on Ghanaians including the citizens of Battor to invest in the development of the area. According to him, Battor is not only ripe for agricultural and industrial development but also has the needed vast sums of land that can support any investment in agriculture, industry and other sectors of the local and national economy.
Togbe Borbordzi VII stressed the need for the traditional authorities in the Battor Traditional Area not only to be united but also avoid land and chieftaincy disputes that can retard the development of the area.
A former Member of Parliament (MP) for South Tongu and former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Ken Dzirasa lauded the family and organizers of the event for honouring the memory of such a great personality and an illustrious daughter of the Battor land.
According to him, even though the late Mamaga Asieku III was not educated, her sterling leadership qualities, wisdom and the rich knowledge she had espoused during her reign as a leader, surpassed the achievements of many of the educated elite of the society.
Mr. Dzirasa was hopeful that her successor, Mamaga Asieku IV would not only be encouraged to continue to commit herself to her task as Paramount Queenmother of Battor but also exceed her predecessor’s achievements for the greater benefit of her subjects.
Hon. Dzirasa pledged his support to the development of Battor in general and also to the current Paramount Queennmother in particular in her untiring efforts at improving the lot of her people.
The Paramount Queenmother, Mamaga Asieku IV stressed the need for unity in the area and particularly among the youth who are the future leaders of the country. According to her, in unity lies strength, emphasizing that it is only through such a unity of purpose that the Battor State can develop.
Mamaga Asieku IV also called on the youth to eschew all forms of negative acts and behaviours such as drinking and smoking that can ruin their lives. She also reminded them to be humble and hardworking, saying these values and virtues pay off at all costs.
As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, a memorial and thanksgiving service was also held for the late Mamaga Asieku III at the Aveyime Chapel of the Methodist Church, Ghana.
The event was also witnessed by a large number of the family members, friends and other relations, well-wishers, chiefs and queenmothers as well as a number of citizens of the Battor State.
Source: Akukorku Media