The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, has said that the creation of the intended Volta Economic Zone will boost the region’s economic prospects.
He said such an initiative, which would demarcate agricultural production and processing areas, among others, would help create jobs and transform lives.
It will also establish reliable water transport services between Ghana and some African countries.
Mr Debrah was speaking at a grand durbar at Anloga last Saturday to climax this year’s Hogbetsotso Za of the Anlo State on the theme: “Building bridges – From common history to a common destiny.”
Mr Debrah, who represented President John Dramani Mahama at the durbar, urged the chiefs and people in the region to remain united and throw their weight behind the government to create the zone.
He commended the people of Anlo for preserving their rich culture and tradition over many generations, which the Chief of Staff said had given them a unique identity.
There was a massive cultural exposition at the durbar which attracted visitors from various parts of the country, including Togo, Europe and the US.
The procession to the durbar grounds saw Anlo maidens, cultural troupes and the council of chiefs in their flamboyant colours, along with traditional musketry that held many visitors spellbound.
The ‘agbadza’ and ‘tsiagbekor’ rhythms, and war and recreational dances added colour to the event.
Among the large gathering at the durbar was the Akwamuhene, Odeeneho Kwafo Akoto III, whose retinue also held the crowd in awe with their traditional warrior attire and sequence of movements in their dance.
Also present was the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and other political actors from all sides of the political divide.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana EXIM Bank, Sylvester Adinam Mensah, chaired the function.
Significance
The Awoamefia of Anlo Dukor, Togbi Sri III, said Hogbetsotso Za was not merely a commemoration of the exodus from Notsie, but also a celebration of endurance, vision and unity-- the very spirit that bound the people of Anlo.
He reminded the Anlo State to rekindle its spirit of unity, saying their progress depended not on the power of an individual or clan, but on their ability to work as a group.
Some women reliving the migration of Anlos from Notsie
The Awoamefia appealed to the government to support rice and aquaculture development in the Afife and Wheta enclave with irrigation facilities and appropriate structures to turn the area into a breadbasket of the nation, and a model of agricultural transformation.
Togbi Sri also renewed his request to the government to convert the Ohawu Agricultural College into a university of Agricultural Science and Environment.
He said such a move would benefit the agricultural corridor in the area, which spanned Dzodze, Wheta, Afife, Avenor and Mafi. It will also anchor food security, youth employment and research-led growth.
Togbi Sri further urged the government to expedite action on the establishment of a Keta campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) School of Pharmacy to enhance access to health education, research, and innovation, while stimulating the local economy.
The Awoamefia expressed gratitude to the government for reviving the Blekusu Sea Defence and the Keta Port projects, saying their completion would redefine the eastern coast as a hub of trade, logistics and maritime services.
Resolving disputes
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, renewed his call on chiefs to resolve all chieftaincy disputes in the area to ensure the smooth implementation of the government’s development agenda for the region.
He mentioned road projects connecting Alakple Junction, Alakple, Kome, Bleamezado, Shime, and the Anloga town roads, which the minister said were in the offing.
Mr Gunu, however, said ensuring peace in those communities would be crucial for the smooth execution and completion of the projects.
He said the Havedzi-Mitsrikasa road had already been awarded on contract.
For his part, Mr Mensah urged the youth of Anlo to be inspired by the Hogbetsotso Za to build a stronger community and a prosperous nation.
