Chief Simpim Aferdi Katamanso Yilagbeye I of the Hiowe Gblaka Family, ancestral leaders of the Seh-Dangme people, has called for the restoration of the family’s traditional leadership and ancestral lands, which they claim were unjustly taken from them during the colonial era.

Addressing President John Dramani Mahama and other dignitaries at a special durbar, Chief Yilagbeye recounted that the family’s forebears, including Lanimo, were the original founders of the Dangme Kingdom, a status they say has historically been overlooked.

According to the family, the British invasion of 1833 and the subsequent Native Jurisdiction Ordinance of 1883 stripped them of their authority and transferred leadership to their former subjects, altering the traditional power structure of the Dangme people.

The Hiowe Gblaka Family further asserted that their lands were wrongly classified as stool lands by British researchers, a move they argue misrepresented their unique governance system, which is rooted in the priesthood rather than chieftaincy stools.

They are therefore appealing for national recognition of their ancestral claims and for the state to support efforts to restore their heritage, leadership, and rightful lands in accordance with historical records and traditional law.

The call by Chief Yilagbeye and the Hiowe Gblaka Family adds to ongoing national conversations about restoring indigenous identities, correcting colonial distortions, and strengthening traditional governance structures across Ghana.