Discover Gbi Bla

COMMUNITY BACKGROUND & HISTORY

Gbi Bla is one of the nine divisions of the Gbi Traditional Area and the second largest. It forms the northern frontier of the Volta Region of Ghana and shares boundaries with the Oti Region. The community lies along Ghana's Eastern Corridor Road, the National Road N2 that runs from the harbour city of Tema on the Atlantic coast to Kulungugu at the border with Burkina Faso. This strategic route makes Gbi Bla an important gateway linking southern and northern Ghana and connecting the country to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Gbi Bla shares immediate boundaries with Gbi Kpeme, Gbi Abansi, Gbi Hohoe, Santrokofi and Lolobi.
The people of Gbi Bla, originally known as Awalime, trace their origins to Southern Nigeria. From there, their ancestors migrated through Benin, then Dahomey, and Notsie in present day Togo. They moved northward toward Kloto, between Kpalime and Atakpame, and first settled at Blave, the area where the present Hohoe Electricity Company yard is located. From Blave they finally moved to their present home along the banks of the River Dayi, where Gbi Bla continues to grow and flourish. Gbi Bla is made up of three sub divisions, Tsrivi in the centre, Blanyigbe in the south and Bladzigbe in the north. Each sub division contains several clans and extended families that together form a close knit traditional community. The Overlord of Gbi Bla is Togbe Buami, who is both leader of the town and a senior chief within the wider Gbi Traditional State, second only to the Paramount Chief, Togbega Gabusu. Under him are sub divisional chiefs for Blanyigbe and Bladzigbe and a divisional queen mother, Mama Ama Serwaa, supported by sub divisional queen mothers. A council of elders and traditional counsellors speak on behalf of the chiefs at public gatherings, in line with Gbi custom. Youth leadership is provided by the Asafoatse, also called Sohefiah, who serves as the link between the elders and the young people of Gbi Bla. The Asafoatse represents the interests of the youth in traditional leadership and mobilizes them for community work, ensuring that the energy of the younger generation supports development while preserving the customs and values that define Gbi Bla.