A MEDICAL Doctor at the Trust Hospital in Accra, Dr. Robert Anipa, has appealed to the government to extend the Hohoe-Kulungugu road rehabilitation project to Kawu (Akpafu)) Todzi in the Volta region to make it more accessible.
He said the road from Akpafu Junction to Todzi and other communities in the area including Mempeasem, is in a deplorable situation which required government’s intervention.
Dr. Anipa made the appeal in Accra on Saturday at the launch and fundraising ceremony for the Iron Festival to be celebrated in February next year. The festival is celebrated by the chiefs and people of Kawu (Akpafu) Todzi every two years.
The Japan government last week announced assistance for the construction of the Eastern corridor highway to link Hohoe in the Volta Region to Kulungugu in the Upper East Region. Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, announced this at a close door meeting with President Atta Mills, in Japan.
Dr. Anipa said that the area is endowed with tourist sites and that the rehabilitation of the road will go a long way to boost not only tourism area, but will also facilitate transportation of food products from the area to nearby towns and the cities.
Dr. Anipa, who is a son of the area said Todzi, Mempeasem and adjourning towns have many tourist sites including water falls, umbrella rocks, caves, virgin forests, wide range of vegetation and other natural resources which when tapped will attract visitors.
For instance, he said that German missionaries who died while working in the area, have been buried there adding that there will be discussions during the festival on how best to rehabilitate their tombs in their honour.
Another historical feature he said are old cranes (machines) that were used to mine iron which in the past and called on the Ministry of Tourism to take advantage of the potentials and develop them.
Touching on the old mines in the area, Dr. Anipa called on the School of Mines, geologists, and historians to study the area.
He also suggested the sitting of a monument such as a Cross on mountain Ogege, one of the highest mountains in the country for tourist purposes.
The chairman of the planning committee and chief of the area, (Akwankyerefo) Nana Kofi Adu II, said iron deposits in the area, have trickled into the water system thereby contaminating the source of drinking water of the people.
Giving a historical background of the area, he said the inhabitants main occupation was mining of iron which was used for the preparation of farm tools and other implements.
The business, he said, attracted a number of people across the country who travel there to buy iron for farming implements until the advent of the European products. Currently, the indigenes are into cocoa and rice farming.
Mr. David Adom, a former Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, who chaired the function, said community development is a shared responsibility and called on the indigenes to actively co-operate for a successful planning and celebration of the festival.
In a welcome address, the Mankrado of the area, Nana Katani Nsurogya II, said the occasion is used to remember their ancestors and to take stock of the citizens contribution to the area and plan ahead.
He said the road from Akpafu Junction to Todzi and other communities in the area including Mempeasem, is in a deplorable situation which required government’s intervention.
Dr. Anipa made the appeal in Accra on Saturday at the launch and fundraising ceremony for the Iron Festival to be celebrated in February next year. The festival is celebrated by the chiefs and people of Kawu (Akpafu) Todzi every two years.
The Japan government last week announced assistance for the construction of the Eastern corridor highway to link Hohoe in the Volta Region to Kulungugu in the Upper East Region. Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, announced this at a close door meeting with President Atta Mills, in Japan.
Dr. Anipa said that the area is endowed with tourist sites and that the rehabilitation of the road will go a long way to boost not only tourism area, but will also facilitate transportation of food products from the area to nearby towns and the cities.
Dr. Anipa, who is a son of the area said Todzi, Mempeasem and adjourning towns have many tourist sites including water falls, umbrella rocks, caves, virgin forests, wide range of vegetation and other natural resources which when tapped will attract visitors.
For instance, he said that German missionaries who died while working in the area, have been buried there adding that there will be discussions during the festival on how best to rehabilitate their tombs in their honour.
Another historical feature he said are old cranes (machines) that were used to mine iron which in the past and called on the Ministry of Tourism to take advantage of the potentials and develop them.
Touching on the old mines in the area, Dr. Anipa called on the School of Mines, geologists, and historians to study the area.
He also suggested the sitting of a monument such as a Cross on mountain Ogege, one of the highest mountains in the country for tourist purposes.
The chairman of the planning committee and chief of the area, (Akwankyerefo) Nana Kofi Adu II, said iron deposits in the area, have trickled into the water system thereby contaminating the source of drinking water of the people.
Giving a historical background of the area, he said the inhabitants main occupation was mining of iron which was used for the preparation of farm tools and other implements.
The business, he said, attracted a number of people across the country who travel there to buy iron for farming implements until the advent of the European products. Currently, the indigenes are into cocoa and rice farming.
Mr. David Adom, a former Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, who chaired the function, said community development is a shared responsibility and called on the indigenes to actively co-operate for a successful planning and celebration of the festival.
In a welcome address, the Mankrado of the area, Nana Katani Nsurogya II, said the occasion is used to remember their ancestors and to take stock of the citizens contribution to the area and plan ahead.
