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.
History
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.
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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