Togbe Amey Zegu II Dufa of Alakple speaking at the event
The Paramount Chief of Kome-Shime Traditional Area, in the Volta Region, Togbi Amey Zegu II, has made a passionate call for a united front against rising youth drug abuse.
Togbe Amey Zegu was speaking at 2025 Klefe Yam Festival packed durbar attended by dignitaries, including the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Vice President, Alex Segbefia.
Togbi Zegu blended the festival’s cultural celebration with an urgent message of collective responsibility.
He warned that substance abuse threatens the very future of the region’s young people.
“The same spirit of togetherness that sustained our ancestors must guide us in overcoming today’s challenges invoking the Ewe people’s historic migration from Notsie to the Volta plains,” he said.
He pointed out that “Unity is our greatest inheritance and our greatest weapon.”
Togbi Zegu underscored the pivotal role of the younger generation, describing them as “today’s energy, innovation, and hope.”
He commended community projects such as the construction of dormitories at the Klefe Technical Institute, calling vocational education “the cornerstone of independence and entrepreneurship.”
Citing recent surveys, the chief revealed alarming statistics: more than half of secondary school students admit to drinking alcohol, nearly one in five report using marijuana, and more than five percent have experimented with amphetamines.
Cases of tramadol and opioid abuse, he warned, are steadily climbing.
“These are our sons and daughters. If we lose them to drugs, we lose our future,” he warmed.
To counter the crisis, Togbi Zegu outlined an ambitious response, urging a regional alliance of traditional leaders, parents, educators, and law enforcement to confront the menace through education, family mentorship, counselling and rehabilitation, tighter controls on illicit substances, and expanded opportunities for youth employment and skills training.
He called on the people of Volta to draw strength from their shared history, envisioning future festivals that celebrate not only rich harvests but also the triumphs of empowered, drug-free youth. “Let us stand united in history, purpose, and action.”
The 2025 Klefe Yam Festival was on the theme “Youth Empowerment: The Future of Our Community.”
Daniel K. Orlando, Klefe