The Ewe people, who form much of the population of this part of Africa have a long and storied history. The particular clans of the Kingdom of Wegbe had migrated from Notse, in present day Togo, escaping a brutal ruler. Moving westward, they settled along the lush Volta River in present day Ghana. The Nyive clan, composed of the Gologa, Awumadake, and Ametu families, unified the various families, rotating their leadership among themselves. Over time, additional clans, the Danorkpedzi, Zorkorgbe, Kpiaya, Dzabe, and Adzokoe, joined to form the Wegbe Kingdom, each with their own chiefs, queens, and traditional rulers under the Nyive King.
After the passing of the Nyive clan’s king in the early 20th century, disputes arose among other clans vying for kingship. Togbe (king) Osei II, emerged as the legitimate ruler. However, unhappy with the ongoing conflicts, he established the Kingdom of Godenu in 1942, with all the previous clans except the Danorkpedzi and Kpiaya. Togbe Osei II’s fluency in German, English, French, and the local Ewe language led to his appointment as a judge by the colonial government, covering the entire Traditional Area of Hohoe. He reigned for sixty years, over the previous Wegbe and then the Godenu Kingdom until his passing at 117 in 1985. In 2002, Togbe Osei III succeeded him as ruler of the Godenu Kingdom.
From the 15th century, various European powers, starting with Portugal, claimed much of these areas as their own. After World War I, much of this area which had been German colonies, were split between the French and British, with part becoming the Republic of Togo and the remainder joining Ghana. Ghana was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty in the struggle against colonialism in 1957.
