Faure Gnassingbé's Regime

One of the exploits made by the late General Etienne Gnassingbé in thirty-eight (38) years of exercise of power, is to have managed to devalue the traditional Chiefdom. Today, President Faure Gnassingbe has done better by emptying it of all its substance and putting it no, only under his boots but also under those of the minority which monopolizes, according to its own terms, the wealth of the country. As a result, traditional chiefs are no longer so sacred and honorary in the past and no longer enjoy the trust of their respective communities.



Formerly a guarantor of customary practices, the traditional chiefs have nowadays become crutches of Faure Gnassingbé's power, or better still, the guarantors of his achievements at the community level. To be convinced, it is enough to appreciate the approach of these crowned heads on the occasion of major events in the country.

No more than last weekend in Tsévié, the image of submission that the traditional Chiefs have projected to the face of the world, during the first statutory congress of the ruling party Union for the Republic (UNIR) of the Head of State is, in the eyes of many observers, the very expression of a position of Allegiance that does not say its name.
Elsewhere the respect given by politicians to the traditional chiefs is matched only by the desire of the latter to be respected and to always hold their preponderant place in the construction of society.

The crowned heads in Ghana are some of the most inspiring examples of this in the subregion. For a long time, they took the responsibility to modernize this well-established institution of chieftaincy in order to meet the needs of their people according to what is happening in the world.

Today, because of their attitudes, the chiefs and queen mothers of all parts of Ghana have reclaimed much of their authority as partners in the development of the state.

Togolese traditional chefs: bad pupils

The traditional chiefdom in Togo is the opposite of that of Ghana and other countries of the sub-region. Crowned heads, to the orders of politicians who gratify them with crumbs in order to use them at the right time for electioneering.
She is sad that reality, but deserves to be in the limelight. She may be bitter this truth but deserves to be raised. Especially since the one who feels abandoned and who suffers from it is the community at the base.

Moreover, the silence of these traditional leaders face the resurgence of demonstrations and the escalation of violence in the country is far from sullen opinion. Especially since, given their habits, people have realized that they are more on the side of the oppressor than the oppressed. "He who remains silent in the face of injustice is on the side of the oppressor," the other will say.

In this sense it would not be too exaggerated, to see too bold to suggest that the traditional power is put to use to exploit the people, and that their credibility of this fact is put to hard tests.

They are more reduced to the role of order-takers in their communities and are far from the major decisions that make life in our country. Even a minister, a prefect or a president of the special delegation can taunt at his pleasure a traditional leader and dictate his requirements.

Mistrust of the population

In many communities in Togo, traditional leaders are increasingly perceived as moles and not credible intermediaries between people and power. On the side of the latter, the traditional Chiefdom is only a part of the machine of socio-economic and political oppression on the population.

But in Ghana, whose traditional leaders are cited as examples above, the central government has realized that it can not work in the positive sense of the term without them, at the level of local communities.

As an example on this point, the Supreme Chief of the Ashantis, who has acquired privileges of his own, conferred by the central government, may be mentioned. It has an administration and a justice and is involved in the development actions of the city of Kumassi.

From all the above, we remember that in Togo, we are far from having a Chefferie dedicated to the cause of their respective communities. Decisions and procedures are dictated more by the regime in place to the chaos of the people who bend under the yoke of misery while their Chiefs, supposed to intercede for them, monopolize their lands with the complicity of power. And that's another pair of sleeve.