AF020819

NO. 1008 SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2019 

DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH 

PICTURE BY: NANA KOFI BROBBEY 

• Chairman of the MDA, Kojo 

Elenu Fabian 

•Mr Samuel 

Okudzeto Ablakwa, 

MP for North Tongu

02 

DAILY QUOTE 

“It’s Not Whether You 

Get Knocked Down, It’s 

Whether You Get Up.” 

– By Vince Lombardi 

CONTENT 

ANNIVERSARIES 

- Founders' Day - Sunday, 4th August 

- Eid al-Adha - Monday, 12th August 

- Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day - 

Saturday, 21 Sep 

DAILY HERITAGE SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2019 

Published by: EIB 

Network / Heritage 

Communications Ltd. 

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www.dailyheritage.com.gh 

BUSINESS 

HEALTH 

HISTORY 

ARTS 

Good news for 

Mepe Youth 

• Dawa textile 

factory to offer 

them 2000 jobs 

PG.11 

Tackle teenage 

pregnancy 

head-on 

• MP to MDA 

PG.10 

About North 

Tongu 

PG.07 

‘Adeworwor’ 

Hunters’ 

Victory Rites 

PG.13 

GRAND DURBAR 

PROGRAMME OUTLINE | AUGUST 3, 2019 

THEME: “Building the structures for sustained 

development: Role of the youth” 

8:30am procession of chiefs and people to durbar ground 

10:00am Arrival of dignitaries 

National Anthem 

Exchange of Greetings 

Open prayer 

Offering libation 

Introduction of chairperson 

Chairperson’s acceptance speech 

Cultural performance 

— Welcome address from Mepe 

Traditional Council 


• Brief address from select distinguished 

guest 

• Brief address from MP for North Tongu 

• Brief address from DCE, North 

Tongu 


• Appeal for fund 

• Key note address of special guest 

of honour 


Chairperson’s remark 

Announcements 

Vote of thanks 

Closing prayer 

Departure 

Thank you!!! 

IN THIS ISSUE 

IMAGES BY: 

NANA KOFI BROBBEY 

Ablakwa, Okoe Boye 

douse political rivalry 

BY MUNTALLA INUSAH 

muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh 

MR SAMUEL Okudzeto 

Ablakwa of the National 

Democratic Congress 

(NDC) and Member of 

Parliament (MP) for North 

Tongu, has been joined by Dr Okoe Boye of 

the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and MP for 

• Ahead of Mepe festival 

Ledzokuku, to launch the Afenorto festival 

of the people of Mepe, a community in Mr 

Ablakwa’s constituency. 

By their single act the two political 

opponents have doused political rivalry ahead 

of the 2020 election. 

In their respective addresses, the 

lawmakers from the two bitter enemy parties 

expressed the wishes to see each other in the 

next Parliament coming into existence after 

the 2020 elections. 

This implies that the two are predicting 

losses for each other’s party in their 

respective party. 

Addressing the gathering of chiefs and 

people, the former deputy education minister 

said it was a historic day seeing his colleague 

NPP MP gracing the launch of the 65th 

festival since it was the first time an MP had 

joined them. 

“Special thanks to my brother and 

colleague in parliament, Dr Bernard Okoe 

Boye, who has joined us. He has made 

history today; he has been the only other 

member of parliament to join us to launch 

• CONTINUE ON PAGE 05 

• CONTINUE

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH 


03 

• Mamaga Adzo Sreku IV (2nd L) and some of the chiefs from Mepe at the 

launch of 2019 Afenorto festival 

• Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, North Tongu MP, interacting with dignitaries 

65th Mepe Afenorto 

festival geared for devt 


captainmut@yahoo.com 

THE MEPE Development Association 

(MDA) has 

launched the 65th edition of 

the Mepe Afenorto festival 

aimed at placing the youth at 

the forefront of development. 

Activities of the festival which started 

in June would see the durbar of chiefs and 

people of Mepe take place on August 3, 

2019. 

The celebration would be on the theme 

‘Building the structures for sustained development: 

role of the youth’, has been 

carefully chosen to place our youth at the 

forefront of the development and the future 

of our community, Mepe and the nation 

at large.’ 

Addressing the gathering at the launch, 

the chairman of the MDA, Kojo Elenu 

Fabian, said “our objective for the annual 

media launch is to bring to the doorstep 

of the people of Ghana and the outside 

• Chairman of the MDA, Kojo Elenu 

Fabian, addressing the gathering 

world the uniqueness of our annual 

Afenorto festival, our rich culture 

and traditional practices celebrated 

by the people of Mepe traditional 

area in the North Tongu district of 

the Volta Region for the past 64 

years in the spirit of peace and oneness. 

He said “our leadership would be 

meaningless unless it leads to the direction 

of growth and development 

of our traditional area, and that 

“this utmost duty places responsibility 

on all of us to contribute our 

quota in the spirit of collective responsibilities 

and hard work.” 

Mr Fabian explained that the 

MDA offers a leadership that will 

enable all of us to embrace opportunities 

with hope, and that “it is 

aimed at building the right relationship 

with the media fraternity in 

order to reach out to government, 

non-governmental institutions, 

captains of industry, business community 

and corporate world in order to form appropriate 

partnership for social and economic 

development of Mepe traditional 

area.” 

The MDA Chairman said the 

voice of the youth in Mepe like 

in any other Africa context mattered 

a lot in development, and 

that “it is our culture that limits 

decision making in the bosom 

of the elderly and makes wisdom 

the preserve of the aged.” 

He said the plight of the 

youth in respect of leadership is 

further deepened by lack of deliberate 

effort to build the leadership 

capacity of the youth, 

adding that “the modern youth 

is exposed to do many expenses 

that if natured properly can lead 

to their ability to handle responsibilities 

at much early stage.” 

“Creating enabling environment 

and empowering them with 

education and training, equipping 

them with art and skills development 

in order to make 

them less dependent on the rich and privilege 

few who abuse the dependency and 

• CONTINUE ON PAGE 12

04 

DAILY 

HERITAGE SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2019 

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH



05 

President Akufo-Addo to grace Afenorto festival 

• President Nana Akufo-Addo 



MR RICHARDS Collins 

Arku, the District Chief 

Executive (DCE) for 

North Tongu in the Volta 

Region, has given the 

people of Mepe assurance 

that he would do all he can 

to invite President Nana 

Addo Dankwa Akufo- 

Addo to grace their 

Afernoto festival this year. 

The DCE’s assurance 

came as a response to a 

call by the Member of 

Parliament for North 

Tongu to Nana Akufo- 

Addo to emulate his 

predecessors by gracing 

this year’s Afenorto festival 

at Mepe. 

In an address on his 

behalf during the launch 

of the 65th edition of the 

festival at the Holiday Inn 

in Accra, Mr Arku said 

“we are hoping for the 

President’s presence at the 

event and will officially 

inform the organisers 

when the final decision is 

made.” 

He asked the people of 

Mepe to look at the 

projects the government 

was implementing “by 

encouraging our people to 

get involved in the 

painting for food and all 

the major programmes so 

together we can develop 

our nation.” 

The DCE has pledged 

the assembly’s support to 

the celebration and “the 

message to the Mepe 

Development Association 

is that the Assembly would 

bear the cost of the 

foundation for the 

construction of the 

community centre for 

Mepe. 

He appealed to the 

chiefs and the people to 

maintain peace and unity 

in the district, saying “It is 

the peace that can bring 

development and without 

it no development.” 

Ablakwa, Okoe Boye 

douse political rivalry 

• READ FROM PAGE 3 

our festival. 

“He is a great Member of 

Parliament and I always tell people 

even though he decided to go and 

join the wrong party, I always wish 

that he retains his seat,” he 

explained. 

Mr Okoe Boye, on the other 

hand, said the former education 

minister had always been his senior 

in school, politics and that 

everywhere he had been, and 

ahead of him despite him [Dr 

Boye] being the elder in terms of 

age. 

“I’m very happy to be here. 

Ablakwa is a very senior person; 

when I went to PRESEC he was 

there, he was our SU president and 

he was teaching us spiritually but 

preaching politics. 

“I will always thank you (chiefs) 

for supporting my brother 

(Ablakwa) and Speaker of 

Parliament has a set of twins in 

• Ahead of Mepe festival 

• Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (R), MP North Tongu shares hug with Mr Bernard Okoe Boye, MP Ledzokuku 

“I’m very happy to be 

here. Ablakwa is a 

very senior person; 

when I went to 

PRESEC he was there, 

he was our SU 

president and he was 

teaching us spiritually 

but preaching politics. 

Parliament, one from the NPP side 

which is me and my brother is the 

senior one at the NDC side. 

He (Speaker) is very interested 

in how we are doing not that we 

went to PRESEC because he is 

also a PRESECAN. But most 

importantly, we make the effort to 

learn and be humble and I will like 

to support him [Ablakwa] so that 

he will be around for a long time.”

06 



History 

The Afenorto 

festival 

Afernorto – 

meaning “period 

of rest at home” 

– is the traditional 

festival of 

the chiefs and people of 

Mepe traditional area. It is 

celebrated annually to renew 

the sense of oneness of the 

people. 

It thus provides a unique 

opportunity for reunions, particularly 

bonding with the extended 

family and ancestors. 

In 1874, General Sir Garnet 

Wolseley moved against 

the enemies of the ambitious 

Ashanti kingdom who were 

attacking the coastal tribes of 

the Gold Coast and the wars 

waged by Sir Garnet Wolseley 

came to be known as Sagrenti 

War (Sir Garnet Wolseley 

War). Frightened by the 

magnitude of the forces of 

the Ashantis, the Anlos chose 

to align with the Ashantis. 

The gallant soldiers of 

Mepe, on the other hand, 

fought alongside the colonial 

army for the freedom of the 

people of the coastline, and 

the alliance won most of the 

battles. By this exceptional 

valour, the Anlos gave Mepe 

the accolade “Mepe kukuruku, 

tsagblatsa, nekotsoe be 

yewoe bi dzo wu Xe” – literally 

meaning “ Mepe (i.e. 

kernel shells) have proven 

that they could produce superior 

quality fire compared to 

that which baphia nitidia (i.e. 

Ashanti/ Anlo coalition) 

could.” 

Kernel Shells 

Baphia nitidia is a prickly 

tough wood well known for its 

burning prowess. Mepe celebrated 

its battle victories by 

dancing to tunes of “Agbekor” 

war drums. This became established 

tradition, with our forefathers 

setting a day aside (at the 

end of July) for the annual commemorations 

of what came to 

be known as “Agbekortu”. 

The period was chosen deliberately 

to overlap the recurrent 

floods caused by the yearly overspill 

of the Volta river. During 

this time, most economic activities 

(particularly clam picking, 

fishing and farming) along the 

banks of the river came to a 

standstill. 

Family and Clan 

meetings 

So, all citizens returned home 

( to Mepe ) on a forced occupation 

holiday. “Apekpoe” (family 

and clan meetings) were convened 

to resolve differences, 

build bridges, and deliberate on 

issues of welfare, marriage and 

so on. 

Nevertheless, there was sudden 

turn of the events in 1918 

when an unprecedentedly high 

incidence and morbidity rates 

of “kpata” (the great influenza) 

rocked the area, causing an 

abrupt interruption to the annual 

ritual for closely four 

decades. A committee was set 

up in 1951 to work on reviving 

the festival and it reported three 

years later the reinstating of the 

celebrations and recommended 

among other things that the “Agbekortu 

and “time out at home” 

and celebrations be integrated 

and christened “Afenorto festival” 

As the dynamism of culture 

has never been in doubt, 

Afenorto has undergone some 

transformations in substance but 

maintained virtually the same 

patterns since its launch in 1955. 

The undying characteristics of 

the Afenorto festival are as follows. 

Firing of muskets and 

sounding of “Atupani” (talking 

drum) 

Libation at Vesime, a location 

where twins were traditionally 

named. 

A procession of chiefs and 

people of Mepe traditional area 

to the durbar ground amid firing 

of muskets, drumming and 

dancing. Chieftaincy and customary 

regalia are displayed with 

splendour. The order en route to 

the durbar grounds is as follows: 

Activities 

First comes Dzagbaku division 

dressed in white, followed 

by the Adzigo clan in green; 

Sevie follows cladded in yellow; 

Gbanvie comes next in red and 

at the rear is Akorvie dressed in 

assorted colours with the emblem 

of cockerel embossed. 

The grand durbar is held on 

the first Saturday of August. 

The celebrations span a little 

over a fortnight 

At the durbar, the chiefs and 

queenmothers sit majestically in 

state displaying their mace - their 

symbol of authority. The paramount 

chief presents the welcome 

address to the guest of 

honour- usually a government 

official, who in turn gives a 

speech in apparent response to 

that of the paramount chief. 

The grand durbar ends in the 

afternoon with the return of the 

chiefs in their palanquins to their 

respective palaces amid pomp 

and circumstance. 

The ensuing days are marked 

by special merry -making activities 

some of which are targeted 

at raising funds to support development 

projects in the area such 

as state harvest. Regatta, fun 

beach, and dances are some of 

the other activities. 

The town equally places a lot 

of premium on education and 

this is evident in the Afenorto 

program featuring the annual 

speech and prize-giving day for 

all schools in the area. 

After the cleansing of ancestral/ 

ritual stools and final observance 

for the dead, the curtain is 

officially drawn on the festival. 

Nonresidents then return to 

their various places of residence 

to patiently await the occasion to 

come again the following year.



07 

Mepe tops all in 2018 BECE results 



IT HAS emerged that students of 

junior high schools (JHSs) at Mepe 

in the North Tongu District of the 

Volta Region who sat for the 2018 

Basic Education Certificate 

Examination have recorded 

improvement on previous academic 

performance, with Mepe arguably 

being declared the best of all within 

the area. 

As per the statistics put 

Parliament for the area out by Mr 

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the 

Member of Parliament for the area 

and former Deputy Minister of 

Education, five out of the 10 best 

performing schools come from 

Mepe. 

“ Our best student had 7 As and 

a B and that student was from the 

Mepe St Kizito Junior High 

School,” he said. 

He called on title sponsors of 

the festivals to not only sponsor 

events but also open branches, and 

look to the direction of “Corporate 

Social Responsibility in areas of 

water project and hospitals to 

expand the frontiers of your 

companies beyond the support for 

the festivals.” 

Some of the schools in the area 

are Mepe Presbyterian Junior High 

School, Mepe Roman Catholic 

Junior High School, District 

Assembly (DA) Junior High School, 

Adexor Kpordzi Junior High 

School and Dadome Junior High 

School. 

“ Our best student 

had 7 As and a B and 

that student was 

from the Mepe St 

Kizito Junior High 

School,” he said. 

• Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Education 

About North Tongu 

BACKGROUND 

THE DISTRICT lies within 

latitude 5o47’N to 6oN and 

longitude 0o5’ East. 

Geographically, the North 

Tongu District shares 

common borders with South Tongu, 

Akatsi, Adaklu, Anyigbe and Ho 

Municipal in Volta Region, 

Asuoagyaman in Eastern Region, 

Dangbe East and Dangbe West in the 

Greater Accra Region. 

This strategic location and its nearness 

from the Volta Regional capital 

Ho and the National Capital Accra enhance 

marketing of Agricultural produce. 

The district lies within the Tropical 

Savannah Grassland. This large tract of 

grassland enhances large scale livestock 

rearing. There is high cattle population 

which can support milk and 

meat processing. 

The Volta River runs from the north 

to the south of the district roughly dividing 

it into two equal parts. The Volta 

River and its numerous tributaries couple 

with numerous dams and dugouts 

in the district constitute a great potential 

for irrigation farming. Fishing, pen 

and cage fish farming are carried out in 

the Volta River. 

The topography of the land is gentle 

(5%) and this favours large scale mechanized 

farming. The sandy loams and 

clays in the district support numerous 

crops such as cassava, rice, maize, cowpea, 

vegetables and mangoes. 

• File Photo: Some of the residents on their rice farm 

The district is one of the leading 

districts in processing of cassava 

into gari. 

There are large deposits of 

oyster shells in the district which 

can be mined and processed into 

lime and other products. 

Even though there are eight (8) 

traditional areas, there is absolute 

peace and tranquility in the district. 

This has attracted a lot of investors. 

GEO-PHYSICAL 

CHARACTERISTICS 

The gentle topography 

brings about low 

development costs and 

favours large-scale 

mechanized farming. 

The granite and gravel 

hills mention above also 

serves as good sources 

of construction 

materials. 

Location and size 

of the district 

North Tongu District lies 

within latitude 5o 47 North to 

6o North and longitude Oo 5 

East. It shares common boundaries 

with South Tongu, Akatsi 

and Ho districts in the Volta Region, 

Asuogyaman in the Eastern 

Region, Dangbe East and Dangbe 

West in the Greater Accra Region 

(Appendix 1). 

The total area of the district is 

1460 km square, which is about 

7.1% of the Volta Region. It is divided 

into two unequal halves by 

the Volta River, stretching from 

the lower Volta Gorge near Akosombo 

in the North to Awadiwe. 

Island, located north of the lower 

Volta bridge at Sogakope. 

Relief, topography 

and drainage 

The topography of the district 

is gentle ranging from near sea 

level to about 18 metres (60 feet) 

above sea level, with slopes less 

than five percent (5%). There are 

few iselbergs, which rise abruptly 

from the plans, namely the 

Avakpe hill, near Avakpedome, 

Kluma, Asiekpeto, Kpedzegblo 

hill and Kpeyibor which are compose 

of granite rocks The Todze 

Hill located near New Bakpa is 

composed mainly of gravel. 

The gentle topography brings 

about low development costs and 

favours large-scale mechanized 

farming. The granite and gravel 

hills mention above also serves as 

good sources of construction materials. 

There are islands in the river 

Volta. These include Dorforkome, 

Awadiwekome and 

Siamekome. 

• CONTINUE ON PAGE 13

News 

IMAGES BY: 




• A cross section of the chiefs 

• Torgbe Kwasi Agba III- Adzigo Division 

• Torgbe Kwadzo Azagba IV (Dzagbaku division introducing Mamaga Adzo Sreku IV, the 

Queenmother of the area) 

• Mamaga Adzo Sreku welcoming a fellow queenmother 

at the ceremony 

Working Life and Hobbies 

Mamaga Adzo 

Sreku IV 

A History Perspective 

ORAL 

HISTORY 

has it that 

the patriarch 

and 

matriarch of Mepe (mefe) 

Adzigo migrated with the 

ewes and notable among 

these ancestors of Adzigo 

people are Adela Nala (a 

hunter), Felitse, Dzraku, 

Hetekuku, Voklu and 

Kumdzo. 

Sreku was one of Nala’s 

daughters whom equally 

migrated with them. It must 

That is why the Adzigo clan has a carving of 

Nala standing on crocodile with a gun on his 

shoulder to symbolize how their ancestor’s Nala 

who was a hunter crossed the two rivers with the 

help of the friendly crocodile. It is clear from the 

foregoing that Nala’s daughter, Sreku whose name 

became official title of the Queenmother of the 

Mepe Traditional Area. Therefore, traditionally, 

every occupant of the sreku stool is the daughter 

of Adela (hunter) Nala. 

Those who occupied the Sreku Stool in the past 

were the first (Nala’s real daughter), Amakpuie 

(Sreku II) and Awusi Zoryiku (Sreku III) who 

joined her ancestors in eternity in 2017. 

On 11th December, 1967, the current occupant 

of the Sreku Stool (Mamaga Adzo Sreku IV) was 

born and named in private life as Gloria Enyonam 

Amedzro and later became Mrs Gloria Enyonam 

be reiterated that Sreku was 

already installed a 

Queenmother before their 

arrival at Mepe. During the 

ancestral migration in 

escape from the King 

Agokoli of Notsie, Sreku 

who was pregnant at the 

time had given birth on the 

way hence Nala paused the 

journey for a while to attend 

to his lactating daughter. 

When they continued the 

journey, they first landed at 

Adidovenu which remains 

one of Mepe’s village till 

Adjagar as a result of 

marriage. Her late parents, Mr 

Wilfred Kumah Amedzro and 

Mrs Florence Doe Amedzro 

(Nee Yormekpe) were from 

kposoefeme, Adzigo. 

Mamaga Adzo Sreku IV was born 

at Asutuare in the Greater Accra 

Region. Mamaga is the last born of 

her siblings. In her formative ages, 

Mamaga attended Asutuare 

Estate Primary School from 

1974 to 1980. She continued 

with her O-Level from 1980 to 

1985 at Akwamuman 

secondary school at 

Akosombo in the Eastern 

Region. 

date. They later relocated to 

Anekpo, which is present 

day a Mafi village. It is said 

that Nala crossed the 

Volta and 

Aklakpa Rivers 

at the back 

of friendly 

crocodile. 

• Queenmother of the 

Mepe Traditional Area 

•Mamaga Adzo Sreku 

IV, Queenmother of 

mepe Traditional area 

showing her symbol of 

authority 

She again tenaciously pursue her A- 

Level studies from 1985 to 1987 at Oda 

secondary school also in Eastern Region. 

In her to further climb the academic 

ladder without looking back Mamaga 

continued to the university of Ghana and 

read psychology and home science from 

2000 to 2003, and not 

even pregnancy and 

childbirth could 

prevent her from 

obtaining a first 

class honors. 

It is said 

one’s 

horizon 

determines 

his or 

her 

viewpoint. Perhaps, in tandem with this 

assertion, Mamaga did not stop broadening 

her academic horizon and further pursued an 

executive master’s Degree in business 

administration from 2009 to 2010 at the china 

Europe International Business School, 

Ghana, Spain and China Campuses. Even 

before that and immediately after her 

bachelor‘s degree, Mamaga pursue a diploma 

course in French at alliance francaise from 

2005 to 2006. Mamaga Adzo Sreku IV is 

multilingual-speaks Eve, Twi, Dangme, 

English and French. 

Mamaga’s martial life 

and children 

In 1991, 

Mamaga Adzo 

Sreku IV got 

married to 

Mr 

Worla 

Kodjo 

Adjagar from 

Kpando and in 1999, 

the marriage was 

solemnized. They are blessed 

with three (3) intelligent 

daughters namely Selassie who is 

graduate nurse, Delali who also hold a 

first degree in French and Dzidzor who is 

currently pursuing an A level course. With the 

microphone, Dzidzor seems to say on behalf of 

her siblings, congratulations mummy; we are 

proud of you and we wish you a peaceful and 

successful reign on the sreku stool. Mamaga is a 

devoted Christian and worship at the 

international central gospel church (ICGC), 

Calvary temple sakumono. 

Mamaga Adzo Sreku IV was an English literature and bible 

knowledge teacher at F’eden High School at Darkuman from 1988 

to 1989. And from 1989 to 1990, Mamaga was a photographer 

assistant and sales girl at glamour stores, Accra. Mamaga later 

became a self-employed person when she went into the designing 

and sale of soft furniture from 1991 to 1996. 

She later became a co-founder and co-managing director of 

SELADELS food Ltds which was established in 1996 and has been 

operating till date. Mamaga is currently based in Tema. When not at 

work, she loves cooking for her family, reading listening to good 

music and dancing. Mamaga’s strengths are decisive leadership, 

good analytical skills, and ability to adapt to changing scenes and 

different people and fair judgement. She is equally sociable 

and a deep thinker full of initiatives. 

Enstoolments as 

mamaga sreku IV 

As indicated earlier, sreku or queen mother 

stool of the Mepe traditional area became 

vacant in 2017 with the demise of the late 

mamaga Awuusi sreku III who reigned for 

63years. Few months after mamaga Awuusi 

sreku III left the stool for eternity, the queen 

maker of Adzigo clan started the search for 

another appropriate candidate for enstoolment 

as the next mamaga sreku. 

Luckily, they were able to find another 

fine, intelligent, well mannered, matured, 

mepecentric, dedicated, generous, and 

decisive and above all, a highly educated 

lady to occupy the queen mother stoolof the 

mepe traditional area. It is the worth 

commending search party for doing a good job, a job devoid of 

entrenched disputes. 

Finally, the selected candidate was taken through the installation 

procedure within a period of one week and on the 19th may, 2019, 

she was inaugurated as the fourth occupant of the sreku stool and 

named mamaga Adzo Sreku IV, Queenmother of Mepe Traditional 

Area. 

Mamaga, even as you have ascended the throne with all you 

good qualities enumerated earlier o this piece, we wish you a healthy 

life on the throne, divine strength (Lamese, Aboka Drika) and 

lengthy reign with Solomonic wisdom. We wish you a productive 

and progressive reign. 

Remember persistently, however, that as the ny nufiaga of 

mepe, you are the proverbial hen with your subject as the chickens 

around you, and because of heterogeneity of human behavior, it is 

not all actions of your subjects that you will find pleasant. Hence 

we wish you a big heart and patience on the throne. As citizens and 

your subjects, we can only wish you well and promise to support 

any progressive and unifying venture you have initiated for the 

betterment of the mepe traditional area. 

Source: Mepe Afernoto 65th Magazin 2019 

• The Queenmother salutes the gathering 

• It was all fun at the mini durbar ground

10 



&Env. 

IMAGES BY: 


Tackle teenage pregnancy 

head-on • MP to MaDA 



THE 

Member 

of Parliament 

(MP) for 

North Tongu, Mr 

Samuel Okudzeto 

Ablakwa, has asked 

the Queenmothers of 

Mepe traditional area 

and the Mepe Development 

Association 

(MDA ) to put in 

place measure to 

tackle “teenage pregnancy” 

menace in the 

area. 

The MP’s appeal 

comes in the wake of 

the alarming rate at 

which teenage pregnancy 

was increasing 

in the Mepe area in 

the constituency in 

the Volta Region, a 

development that has 

has raised concerns 

about the feature of 

the youth. 

He also urged that 

the issues to do with 

“I am 

appealing to 

the 

organisers [of 

the festival] 

to take on 

additional 

responsibilitie 

s. The issues 

to do with 

teenage 

pregnancy 

are not too 

good. 

• Chairman of MDA (M) interacting with some of his people 

some of the young men dropping 

out of school and becoming Okada 

riders should be addressed since it 

was gaining root in the area. 

“I am appealing to the organisers 

[of the festival] to take on additional 

responsibilities. The issues to 

do with teenage pregnancy are not 

too good. 

He also said it was a good development 

when young men decide to 

go into Okada and do not want to 

pursue further education despite 

having good grades, and charged 

that “we must do more to let them 

understand the value of education.” 

The MP also asked the traditional 

leaders to do all they could 

to stop sand winning in the area, 

adding, “It is destroying our roads 

and disturbing the ecology and we 

are losing our tilapia and mud fish”. 

• Moment of Dancing 

• Youth of Mepe


WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH 11 

Good news for 

Mepe Youth 

• Dawa textile factory to offer them 2000 jobs 



THE MEMBER of Parliament for 

North Tongu in the Volta Region, 

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, 

has announced that he, together 

with the traditional leadership of 

his constituency, has received a communication 

that a textile manufacturing company to 

be opened at Dawa will offer about 2000 jobs 

to the youth in the constituency. 

He said “after our interaction and they 

have decided that they are coming to set up a 

textile manufacturing company in the Dawa 

free zone enclave with an initial workforce of 

2000 workers. They have decided that they 

“I am appealing to 

the organisers [of the 

festival] to take on 

additional 

responsibilities. The 

issues to do with 

teenage pregnancy 

are not too good. 

• Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu 

(workers) will all come from North Tongu 

and the Mepe youth will surely be a priority.” 

The former Deputy Minister of Education, 

who was speaking at the launch of the 

festival at Holiday Inn in Accra on July 19, explained 

that “because the delegation was led 

by Togbe Kwasi Nego VI, Manklalo of Mepe 

Traditional Area, it makes it easier for the 

youth within the area to be employed at the 

factory that would be sewing nursing uniforms 

for nurses in the United States of America. 

“They were not too sure about the workforce 

to feed the factory if they were to set up, 

but after looking at Ghana, Togo and Ivory 

Coast, fortunately they have settled on Ghana 

and our youth are going to get jobs to do,” he 

added. 

• File photo: Youth in sewing business 

• Women at Mepe selling shell fish 

• Okada is a real business at Mepe

12 

DAILY 

HERITAGE SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2019 


NEWS 

• Mr Bernard Okoe Boye, MP for Ledzokuku (L), sharing 

jokes with Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu 

• Mamaga Adzo IV 2nd (L) and some of the chiefs from 

Mepe at the launch of the 2019 Afenorto festival 

65th Mepe Afenorto 

festival geared for devt 

• CONTINUE ON PAGE 3 

• Traditional drummers are important at festivals 

cause them to further their evil activities 

[is the way out].” 

Igbo Community 

HRM Eze Dr Chukwudi Ihenetu, 

King of the Igbo Community in 

Ghana, who graced the occasion, 

tasked people not to forget about 

their roots. 

“We need to know our roots. Getting 

to know those close to us is a 

blessing in disguise that will take us 

to the place where we wanted,” 

adding that “It is time we must promote 

our culture and love our culture. 

How we can comport 

ourselves.” 

Chairman’s 

remarks 

Kojo Duncan, the chairman for 

the occasion, urged all to remain 

united and take the opportunity to 

engage one another to promote development. 

The event was used to launch the 

festival magazine purchased the 

“We need to 

know our 

roots. Getting 

to know those 

close to us is 

a blessing in 

disguise that 

will take us to 

the place 

where we 

wanted,”... 

chairman bought the first copy for 

GHc6, 000, which became the highest 

price at the end of it all. 

• Mr Kojo Duncan, chairman of the Afenorto launch (L) 

• Hot media coverage of the Afenorto launch



13 

‘Adeworwor’ 

Hunters’ 

Victory Rites 

In Pictures 

IMAGES BY: 

NANA KOFI BROBBEY

14 



Candle Light 

Procession 

In Pictures 

IMAGES BY: NANA KOFI BROBBEY

DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH 

DAILY HERITAGE 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2019 

15 

About North Tongu 

• READ FROM PAGE 7 

The Volta River is the only river 

that flows through the district. Main 

streams are:-Aklakpa, Tsimor, Aklamador, 

Akplordo, Atiemo, Alabo, 

Tsimortorwui, Korlor, Ayiwa and 

Tordze. There are large numbers of 

creeks such as Kebe, Aklamador, 

Amido, Mlagoe, KeleAkplodordi 

There are numerous 

dams/dugouts in the district notable 

among them is the Tedeafenui dam. 

Occupational distribution 

68.9% of the active population 

is in agriculture 

The main crops produced in the 

district are cassava, maize, pepper 

Climatic conditions 

Climate of the district is tropical, 

greatly influenced by south-west monsoon 

winds from Atlantic Ocean and the 

Dry Harmattan winds from the Sahara 

Desert. 

There two rainy seasons, 

the major one 

from mid – April to 

early July and minor 

from September to November. 

The average 

annual rain fall varies 

from 900mm to 

1100mm with more 

50% of it falling in the 

major season. Rainfall 

generally is inadequate 

even during the major 

season, which adversely 

affects both 

crop and cattle production 

in the 

District.Table 1-3 depicts the rainfall data 

for the district from 1997 to 2010. 

Temperature and relative humidity vary 

little throughout the year. The mean temperature 

is 27o 

The minimum and maximum temperatures 

vary from 22o C to 33o C respectively. 

March is the hottest month while 

and July and August are the coolest 

months. Average relative humidity is 

about 80% making the weather quite conductive 

for human activities, such as habitation, 

farming and recreation. 

and cowpea. Pepper and cassava are 

predominant in Adidome, Mepe and 

Mafi-Kumasi areas. The minor ones 

are groundnut, okro, garden eggs, 

tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Yams 

have been introduced in Juapong 

zones. 

Rice production is done 

in the Aveyime area. 

Cattle are the main livestock 

produced in the district. The district 

is one of the districts with high 

concentration of cattle in Ghana. 

Sheep and goats and pigs production 

is gradually increasing. Guinea 

fowls and fowls are also kept by 

many people. A few farmers keep 

turkeys and ducks. 

Some are fisherman. Fishing is 

carried out in the river Volta and in 

dams and dugouts dotted all over 

the district. 

Some people are engage in fishing. 

Fish farming is gradually increasing. 

Fish farming in natural 

environments could be 

found around Battor, 

Aveyime, Mepe and 

Adidome where pen/culture 

cage are practiced 

along the banks of the 

River Volta. 

Some are fisherman. 

Fishing is carried 

out in the river Volta and 

in dams and dugouts dotted 

all over. 

Fish farming 

is gradually 

increasing. 

Fish farming in natural 

environments could be 

found around Battor, 

Aveyime, Mepe and 

Adidome where pen/culture 

cage are practiced 

along the banks of the 

River Volta. 

Some people are engage 

in Pottery. Pottery is carried 

out by women at Kpoviadzi, Todze, 

Torgome New Bakpa and Adidome 

(Bame). 

There is a brick and tile factory at 

Kpogede near Adidome. 

Some people are engage in Oyster 

shell mining around Dorfor 

Traditional area. This is processed 

into lime. The shells can be used 

for cement, hydro silicate bricks 

and tiles, grit for poultry feed, paint 

and terrazzo. 

Others are also in transportation 

system 

Water transport (canoes), 

motorbikes, tractors, 

and other vehicles. 

Some people are also 

engage in trading, Kente 

Weaving at Akyemfo, Sand 

winning – Battor, Mepe, 

Adidome. Quarrying at 

Avakpedome, Kpokope 

(near Asiekpe) Nukporte, 

Kpedzi-battor. Others are in 

Vocational activities (tailoring) 

masonry, blacksmithing, 

shoe, making, hair dressing, 

Traditional herbal activities 

and charcoal burning. 

Source: Ministr y 

of Agriculture 

• Aveyime rice factory 

• Canoe fishing at Mepe booming 

•People crossing the Volta lake by a canoe

AF020819

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