By Hebrews Pouyeli Kumako
The Aflao Traditional Council, led by Paramount Chief Torgbuigah Adzonugagah Amenya Fiti V, has strongly opposed a proposal by the Ketu South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Nicholas Worclachie, to establish a new High Court Complex at Glidzi for the Ketu South Municipality, insisting that any reconstruction and modernization of the court must remain within its current strategic judicial enclave.
In a detailed press statement issued after an emergency council meeting held on Monday, 18th May 2026, the Council described the proposed relocation as unjustified, administratively flawed, and contrary to the principles of accessibility, decentralization, and fair distribution of state institutions.
The Council acknowledged the urgent need for a modern High Court facility, citing the deteriorating and unsafe condition of the current Denu High Court building. However, it firmly rejected what it described as any attempt to exploit the infrastructure challenge as a pretext to remove the High Court from its long-established location serving the southern Volta corridor.
According to the Council, there is “no moral, historical, administrative, equitable, or judicial justification” for relocating the High Court, which has served the people effectively for more than four decades.
The traditional authorities emphasized that the current court location was strategically established to provide judicial access to multiple districts and remains central to communities including Aflao, Anlo, Akatsi South, Akatsi North, and the wider Ketu South and Ketu North areas.
They argued that the issue confronting the Judicial Service is purely infrastructural—not geographical—and that logic demands reconstruction of the existing court complex rather than relocation.
The Council highlighted the High Court’s advantageous position at the junction of major road networks including the Aflao–Denu–Anlo Road, Agbozume–Akatsi–Sogakope Road, and Hatsukope–Dzodze–Ho Road, making it the most accessible judicial point for residents, lawyers, law enforcement agencies, and public institutions across the southern Volta enclave.
It warned that moving the court to Glidzi would impose unnecessary hardship on litigants and court users while disrupting the efficiency of justice delivery.
The Council also stressed Aflao’s strategic significance as the most populous settlement in the Volta Region and Ghana’s principal eastern international border town.
According to the statement, Aflao’s expanding population, growing commercial activity, and increasing legal disputes justify strengthening judicial infrastructure within the enclave rather than transferring it elsewhere.
The chiefs argued that relocating the High Court away from such a critical commercial and security hub would contradict Ghana’s broader policy of decentralizing justice and bringing judicial services closer to the people.
Concern Over Repeated Removal of Institutions
The Traditional Council further raised concerns over what it described as a pattern of judicial institutions being gradually removed from Aflao.
It recalled that a Magistrate Court once located at the Aflao Urban Council Hall, near the District Police Station, was relocated to Nogokpo, while a Circuit Court originally established at Zuime in Aflao was also moved to the premises of the Ketu South Municipal Assembly.
According to the Council, these successive relocations have weakened access to justice in the municipality’s most active urban center and fueled growing public concern over what it sees as a systematic erosion of key state institutions from Aflao.
In a significant commitment, the Aflao Traditional Council assured the Judicial Service of Ghana, the Ministry of Local Government, and other stakeholders that it is ready to mobilize resources and partnerships to support the construction of a modern High Court Complex within the current location.
The Council pointed to ongoing local development efforts, including the privately supported construction of a one-storey Health Administration Block by Aflao’s Youth and Development Chief, as evidence that the community can rally support for critical infrastructure projects.
The Council cautioned that any attempt to relocate the High Court without broad consultation and due regard for historical realities could trigger public dissatisfaction, institutional distrust, and prolonged administrative controversy within the municipality.
It further warned that the people of Aflao would not remain passive while decisions affecting their historical rights and access to justice are made without their input.
“The people of Aflao cannot and will not remain indifferent to any policy direction perceived to undermine their historical contributions, strategic importance, and legitimate entitlement to equitable state institutional presence,” the statement emphasized.
The Council urged the Ketu South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Nicholas Worclachie, to immediately withdraw the proposal and halt all attempts to move the High Court pending broader stakeholder engagement with traditional authorities and residents.
It also stressed that if necessary, it would pursue all lawful constitutional, administrative, and civic measures to protect the interests of the people and preserve judicial accessibility within the municipality.
Rather than pursuing policies that could create division and resentment, the Aflao Traditional Council called on local authorities to focus on attracting new development projects and strengthening institutional infrastructure across the municipality in ways that promote inclusiveness and balanced growth.
Reaffirming its position, the Council declared that it remains united and resolute in safeguarding Aflao’s strategic institutions, historical rights, and development interests.
Source News Volta
