DEVELOPMENT is accountability is the first and foremost objective of our local governance and the decentralization framework the process as it currently stands is very slow as a result of the non-election of Mayors, Municipal Chief Executives and District Chief Executives, (MMDCEs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, (MMDAs), who are the frontline and key actors in the nomenclature, aside from the above weakness, however, there are a number of very dynamic and development proactive MMDAs and MMDCEs across the country who have adopted innovative assembly specific strategies to implement national policies to accelerate individual assembly need specific Local Economic Development (LED aspired) development projects, who are local governance’s unconscious and unsung brand ambassadors, who give confidence and hope of a very bright future for local governance in the country.
Mr. Martin Kofitsey Nyahe current Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Akatsi South Municipal Assembly (ASMA) stands tall as towering development giant among remarkable and decorated frontline development proactive administrators and assemblies that have adopted the usage of innovative strategies to implement key government national development projects across the country.
A press statement from Akatsi South Municipal Assembly (ASMA) to the media, said, “the ASMA has chosen and resolve to use tourism as a strategic development and transformation catalyst to promote the area’s accelerated and rapid development”, this decision according to the release was arrived at based on the outcome of feasibility studies done into the area’s tourism potential and its positive results return , which informed the assembly’s decision to repose confidence in and prioritize tourism development”.
The release which was signed by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Akatsi South, Mr. Martin Kofitse Nyahe and issued from Akatsi, the Municipal Capital (MC) and copied to the BFT tourism desk said,” the Assembly was determined to implement a home-grown Local Economic Development (LED) Strategy, which would bridge the development gap between wealthy-urban and poor-rural areas and eventually transform the area into an outstanding socio-economic development model in the country”.
Tourism & Industrial Hub
ASMA according to the MCE has identified and prioritized tourism development as a special development vessel to among others transform the area into an attractive and competitive international Cultural and Eco-tourism destination-model and hub in the country and beyond, promote women empowerment, gender parity, bridge the gender disparity gap in the country, use tourism to pursue poverty alleviation since tourism is an outstanding pro-poor, pro-woman and women dominated industry that further promotes Small Scale and Medium Enterprises (SMES) and above all use tourism to promote the rapid and accelerated industrialization, in actualization and achievement of government’s One District One Factory (1D-1F) flagship programme and transformation of the area.
Competitive Advantage
The pragmatic and dynamic development conscious MCE, who is barely five months in office, asserts the Assembly would explore and leverage on its strategic location, along the Accra-Aflao trans-Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Highway as well its central location to Southern Coastal Ghana and also double as the unofficial centre of the Volta Region, the Municipality stands tall with its easy access and connection to Ho, the Volta Regional Capital and Ghana’s South most human habitation in the Keta Municipality and Anloga District respectively, the pragmatic MCE observes that accessibility is an invaluable asset in tourism development and an outstanding tourism unique-selling point (T-USP), which the assembly would fully harness to its tourism advantage.
Xavi-Bird Sanctuary
The area has Xavi –Bird Conservation and Bird-watching Sanctuary and the rare Sitatunga endangered water species that is found in the Avu Lagoon water resource of the area, an evergreen and outstanding community-based conservation and eco-tourism projects that have repositioned the community as a prominent and the preferred destination for many environmentalists, researchers, conservationists, nature admirers, bird watchers and bird-scientists and other visitors.
Eco-tourism & Irrigation
According to the MCE critical analysis of the area’s natural topography which made-up of land and vegetation is dominated and influenced by the guinea savanna woodland Agblegborloe, Kutoe, Tordzi, Lotor, Wowoe rivers, Avu Lagoon, various and beautiful flora and fauna (bird) and grass snake species, rare and mangrove swamps which is idle and suitable for mechanized commercial and irrigation agriculture, (crops and vegetables), eco-tourism and also watersports. Other unique and natural resource features of the area include clay deposits that is good for ceramics, brick and tile industries.
Tourism Overview
The area is the traditional home of the Avenors and is pre-dominated by the Ave-sub division of the larger Anlo extraction of the Ewes ethnic groups of West Africa and elsewhere.
Hospitality Overview
A number of star rated accommodation, catering and entertainment hospitality facilities are found and operate in the district to provide and cater for the hospitality needs of visitors to the area and beyond. Notable among these hospitality facilities include Magava, Volta Paradise, Villa Vegas, Perfect Peace, Tonninam, KB Lodge and Time Tells .Others are Akpeko, Dzifanor’s Guest House, Kepsons and Viglin. Found in nearby districts include Soagakope Beach, Vilkado.
Investment Opportunities
The Municipality has and abound in countless investment opportunities including cottage and agro-processing, tourism, roads, culture, watersports, commercial irrigation agriculture, education, weaving, fish farming, animal husbandry among others.
Profile
The Akatsi South Municipal Assembly (ASMA) was established by a Legislative Instrument (L. I.) 2165 in March 15, 2012.Akatsi its Municipal Capital (MC) is located between latitudes 60S 70N and longitudes 00W 10E. ASMA shares boundaries with Keta Municipal Assembly to the South, Ketu North to the East, to the West by South and Central Tongu Districts and to the North by Akatsi North and Agortime-Ziope Districts. Its total land area is about 536 square kilometers.
Culture
The Municipality has only one Traditional Area, known as Avenor Traditional Area which is made up of the Avenors. Avenorpeme, serves as its Traditional Capital (TC) and the origin of the Avenor indigenes. The Avenors are divided into Thirteen (13) clans with their clan heads who are also chiefs and function as the custodians of lands in the Municipality.
Traditional Festivals
The Municipality is cultural hub, the indigenes have and celebrate a number rich traditional and cultural festivals notable are Avenor-Hogbeza is celebrated by the people of the Avenor chiefs and people during the second week of December each year to commemorate the migration of their ancestors from their original home, Avenor-Ketukpe in the Republic of Togo, Agbeliza on the other hand is also celebrated the Avenorpedo communities in the first week of August annually to recognize the importance of cassava products namely gari, tapioca, yakayake, chips, doughnuts and bread, where the best cassava farmer is honoured at a grand durbar of chiefs and people.
Denyaza is another cultural festival celebrated locally in and by a number of Communities usually during Easter or Christmas.
Atitoezaa
The Velvet Tamarin Festival (Atitoezaa) is celebrated by the Avenor chiefs and people at Akatsi Municipal Capital to promote the commercial production of the fruits (Atitoe), the above festivals repositioned the Municipality as a cultural hub. Blizaa
The Municipality additionally also celebrates Maize Festival (Bliza),to honour and showcase the Assembly’s in cultivation of the crop
Textile
Tailoring/dressmaking, kente weaving, Batik, Tie and Dye Industries are very vibrant in the area.
Ethnicity and Religion
The Municipality is ethnically dominated by Ewes representing 98.6 percent. The rest are in the minority as follows, Akan (0.5%), Ga Adangme (0.2%) Guan (0.1%) and other ethnic groups (0.5%).
The religious affiliation of the people in the District is dominated by Christians, representing 60.6 percent followed by the Traditionalist (27.9%), No religion (8.5%), Islamic (2.1%) and other religions (0.1%).
Carrot, Pepper and Maize
The Municipality also plays host to the cultivation of these crops not only for domestic consumption but also for export. The Carrot and Pepper for instance are also cultivated all year round through irrigation schemes established by the farmers. The dug-out wells and the Caterpillar dam for instance are sources of water for the production of these crops. Maize cultivation is also well supported by the soils in the District.
Clay Deposit
The development outlook in the Akatsi South Municipal is to promote and market the potentials of clay deposits to would-be investors in the Brick and Tile Industry in order to create jobs in the communities. A vast stretch of clay deposits exists in Suipe and Wute. Feasibility studies conducted by geological survey department estimated the deposit at Suipe to be 6.8 million tones which could be exploited for over 130 years. At Wute, the clay deposit is estimated to be 9.7 million tones with an estimated commercial exploitable life span of 150 to 200 years. There are three major quarry sites in the Municipality namely-Gonikope Atsiekpui and Ashiagborvi. Technology Improvement and Packaging. The Sitatnga rare and endangered world species are found in the Avu Lagoon in the Aktasi South ,Anloga and Keta assemblies,the Sitatunga rare animal species and the entire Avu lagoon as its home and habitat are protected area to protect their continual existence.
The Writer is Tourism, Brands & Branding, Communication & Marketing Consultant, Practitioner, Analyst, Advocate & Activist
Email: [email protected]
