THE newly outdoored Chief of Liati-Wote in the Afadjato South District of the Volta Region, Togbe Kodadza VI, has announced plans to revive puberty rites in the tourist resort community.
He explained that the initiative aimed to ensure that the virginity of girls remained protected until marriage.
According to him, the revival of the rites also formed part of broader efforts by the traditional authorities to guarantee uninterrupted, quality basic and senior high school education for children in Liati-Wote, especially girls.
Togbe Kodadza VI disclosed this in an interview last Wednesday, five days after he was formally presented to the people at a durbar in the community.
He succeeds Togbe Kodadza V, who reigned from 1994 to 2025.
The chief issued a strong warning that any man who impregnated a minor girl in Liati-Wote would face swift and severe consequences.
He noted that the community’s teenage pregnancy rate had been remarkably low for years, adding: “Now, we do not want any such cases to occur at all.”
He stressed that reintroducing the puberty rites would also enhance the numerous tourism attractions of Liati-Wote.
Beyond cultural preservation, Togbe Kodadza highlighted plans to commit significant zeal and resources to large-scale commercial agriculture in the community, renowned for its fertile soils and the highest peak in Ghana, Mountain Afadza.
“We will start from the community level and seek assistance from the district assembly, investors and various groups to expand the farms and establish agro-based industries,” he said.
The chief, a teacher and married father of four, said that the farms would focus heavily on cassava, maize, cocoa and other tree crops.
Meanwhile, a total of 6,685 tourists have visited Liati-Wote since the beginning of the year. According to the Tourist Site Manager, Albert Tawiah, most of the visitors were from other parts of the country, Germany, Spain, the USA, Italy, Belgium, France and Canada.
Last year, the community recorded 8,834 tourists, marking a significant increase from the 8,234 visitors in 2023.
