The Volta Regional capital is witnessing an influx of troops of the various security agencies as the days inch closer for the 66th Independence Day celebrations.
The Region would host the national parade for the first time in the country’s 66-year history, and the city has been thrown into series of activity since the announcement some months ago.
Hundreds of security officers have been sighted in the city weeks ahead for the historic event, to ensure utmost security for the smooth organisation of the event.
The revered warriors looking men are seen commuting to the 5,000-capacity stadium, venue for the parade, lies about two kilometres out of the heart of town, and its unpopulated vicinity grants privacy for the warriors to prepare for the spectacular show of force.
Aircraft and other restricted activities are on the increase, and the unused Ho Airport is seeing some action, prepping for the thousands of dignitaries who would attend the parade by air.
Residents around security facilities such as the Regional Police Training School and the Ho jubilee are witnessing an influx of personnel rehearsing, and the Ho jubilee park, main area of convergence in the Region, has been closed to all activity and dedicated solely to security personnel.
Roads in and around the Municipality are being fixed along with highways connecting the national capital, and over 2,000 streetlights have been installed or replaced.
The Region’s hospitality sector is all out, with even dormant businesses pulsing up to reap the occasion, while all hotels have long been oversubscribed.
The lineup of activities for the 12-day celebration made ample space for the promotion of the Region’s tourism exports, and Regional Coordinating Council and the Ho Municipal Assembly is helping create the typical Volta experience with a week-long food bazaar, and full night of music from artistes from the Region.
An Anniversary debate comes off at the OLA Senior High School Hall on Thursday, and the popular “What do You Know” quiz competition, will be held at the UHAS Cedi Auditorium on Sunday.
The logo of the Anniversary, unveiled at the launch in Ho, imbibes the national colours and it is themed around the tourism acclaim of the Volta; the figure “66” rests on Mountain Afadzato, Ghana’s tallest and the main attraction in the Region.
Tour operators are poised to give visitors a taste of the tourism treat, and with Independence Day falling on a Monday, a joint-racking tour around would be rewarded with the ultimate live parade in all its pomp and splendor.
A round trip by tourism ambassadors from the Region just concluded, whetting the appetite of visitors, and the Saturday offers a ‘Tour Volta Day’ event that would take visitors to popular sites including the canopy walkway-under-waterfall, the Ote Falls, and the well-known monkey sanctuary, the Tafi Atome.
A cycling, photo walk and a hike up the Adaklu Mountain has also been scheduled for Sunday.
The Environmental Health Department is leading a series of cleanup exercises in and around the Municipality and has just completed an intensive Hotel Inspection exercise.
The Department is currently undertaking screening of food vendors, hundreds of whom are expected to serve at the parade venue on Independence Day.
Mr Divine Bosson, Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), told the GNA that the local economy of Ho was projected to grow by several millions cedis in the period around the celebration.
He said aside short-term benefits, the regional capital had received a significant facelift, and the essence of the new stadium project and the coming celebration surpassed popular perception.
“The economic impact of the project should not be overlooked. We should commend the government for the March 6 project. It has added to the expansion of roads and the extension of water for the region.
4th March, 2023
SUBJECT: Press Release
RECIPIENT: All Media Houses
Dear Friends of the Media
RE: TROOPS DESCEND ON HO FOR NATIONAL 66TH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS
The attention of the People’s Liberation Council (PLC) of Western Togoland has been drawn to a news item making rounds on traditional and Social Media platforms on the above subject matter which the PLC wishes to use your esteemed Media Outlets to react to as follows:
1. In the first place, the PLC wishes to strongly distance itself from the celebration of Ghana’s 66th Independence anniversary celebration as we still hold the stance that it is an ill informed decision tantamount to trespassing on Western Togoland territory.
2. The fact that the government of Ghana could deploy troops to the Volta region which is rightly a Western Togoland territory ahead of it’s independence day celebration suggests in itself that there is something terribly wrong somewhere.
3. Either the government of Ghana believes that the aggrieved citizens of Western Togoland may stage protests and go on the rampage as our intelligence seems to suggest or something is just not adding up.
4. The people of the Volta region and for that matter Western Togoland are a law abiding people going about their daily activities in peace and we do not need any such troops amongst us whatsoever.
5. The PLC wishes to state emphatically that what the government of Ghana is doing amounts to a travesty of Justice and an infringement on the rights and liberties of the people of Western Togoland. And any attempt by the government of Ghana to instill fear in the people of Western Togoland will not go down well with the people and the government of Ghana should have itself to blame should it’s actions and inactions degenerate into any chaos going forward.
Let us again be reminded that the UNION between Ghana and Western Togoland which should have been formed on the eve of Ghana’s independence in 1957, was never formed and Ghana has no business in Western Togoland.
THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE; they say IS THE VOICE OF GOD.
Issued by: The Communications Bureau of the PLC of Western Togoland.