Tugbedzo, ‘the cannon bomb could not explode’ - How Volo community turned history into hope
Every year, the quiet riverside town of Volo in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region comes alive with memory, culture, and purpose.
At the centre of it all is the Tugbedzo Festival, a celebration rooted in survival, unity, and a remarkable historical event.
According to the acting Paramount Chief of the Volo Traditional Area, Togbe Bennett Koblah Appleh, Volo was among the earliest settlements in Tongu land, second only to Fieve in North Tongu.
He said by 1867, the people had settled on the left bank of the Volta River after being displaced from their former settlement near present-day Battor.
The Tugbedzo Festival, which literally translates as “the cannon bomb could not explode,” commemorates the historic bombing of the Volo community by the Danes in 1886 as they travelled upstream on the Volta River on their way to Amedeke, Akuse.
Oral history has it that, fortunately, Meh and Lomor, the revered gods of Volo, intervened and prevented the bombs from detonating.
These unexploded bombs have remained on Volo soil to this day, serving as a testament to the power and protection of the gods.
History holds that the gods pursued the Danes because of their malicious intentions, causing their boat to capsize in the Volta River near Amedeke, Akuse.
From that incident emerged the name Tugbedzo, which has since evolved into the Tugbedzoza, or Tugbedzo Festival.
Peace
Today, the festival promotes peace, unity, and development.
The preserved site where the cannons landed in Volo
Togbe Appleh stressed that the cannonball incident remains central to the community’s identity and collective memory.
In 2005, the festival was formally structured through the initiative of Emmanuel Kwasi Alorvi, Rev. Sampson Mawutor Gamedoagbao, and Easmon Kofi Netsey, with support from community leaders.
Togbe Appleh said the festival now serves as a platform for development dialogue.
However, he indicated that despite the progress made, Volo continues to face challenges, particularly access to clean drinking water.
He explained that although the community is located near the Volta River, residents cannot drink from it because of diseases such as bilharzia and other infections and called for access to a potable water supply.
He also called for improved telecommunications services and the urgent completion of a dormitory for the community day senior high school, as many students walk long distances to school daily.
Despite these challenges, he said the people of Volo remain united and committed to development, especially the youth and members in the diaspora.
Through the Tugbedzo Festival, Volo continues to transform history into hope and resilience into action, bringing together chiefs, citizens, and members of the diaspora each year to renew bonds, inspire the youth, and attract support for sustainable development projects in education, health, and infrastructure, while preserving its unique historical heritage and promoting lasting peace.
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