Dzodze Explained

Dzodze
Settlement Type:District Capital
Pushpin Map:Ghana
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ghana
Coordinates:6.237°N 0.9962°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Ghana
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Volta Region
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Ketu North Municipality
Founder:Torgbui Adzofia
Leader Party:Dzodze Urban Council
Leader Title:UZTAC
Elevation M:64
Timezone:GMT
Timezone Dst:GMT
Website:Dzodze.org

Dzodze is a small town, the capital and administrative centre of Ketu North Municipality, a district in the south eastern corner of the Volta Region of Ghana.[1] From the Exodus of the Ewe people, some of them arrived and stayed in Dzodze, in the Volta Region of Ghana after the fall of the wall of Notse. The natives speak Ewe (Eʋe) the main language in Dzodze. They are an Anlo-Ewe community.[2] The traditional rhythm of this land is Agbadza, and Ageshe.

Geography

Location

Dzodze is located near the border between Togo and Ghana, and lies 199 kilometers from the capital of Ghana, Accra through Tokor and 87 kilometers from Ho, the regional capital.

Suburbs or Electoral Areas

Ablorme, Adagbledu, Fiagbedu, Apeyeme, Apetepe, Afiadenyigba, Kpordoave, Kave/Awlikorpe, Kasu/Tsiaveme/Torfoe, Kpelikorpe/Heheme, Kuli/Dzogbefime, Dorwuime/Bokorgakorpe and Deme/Tornu

Ablorme

Ablorme is among the suburbs that make up the Dzodze community. After residents had been in wait for many years, a new chief and queenmother were enstooled in 2022.[3] [4] They are currently Mr Angelis Dzakpasu and Madam Edo Nancy Amable under the stool names, Togbuiga Adisre VII and Mamaga Gbewodo II respectively.

Demographics

The inhabitants of Dzodze are primarily Ghanaian nationals who settled down after the exodus of Ewe people from Notsie in Togo to the Southwest of Ghana sometime in the later part of the seventeenth century, The Ewe language is the most widely spoken language in the town.

Meaning of Dzodze

Dzodze is in the Ewe language: Dzo = to fly. Dze = to land. Dzodze = flew and landed. According to the history, Torgbui Adzomefia's nephew Torgbui Amegayibor managed to cross the Aka river and settled on the part of the forest where his uncle Torgbui Adzomefia, and his people had already settled. During one of Torgbui Amegayibor's expeditions, he saw a cloud of smoke billowing from afar. He traced it to his uncle's village. He wondered how his uncle, and his family, managed to cross the Aka River because he didn't see any human activity en route to the settlement. He asked his uncle, Torgbui Adzomefia, the means by which he got into the forest. This was the answer he got from his uncle; 'De mie dzo va dze.' (we flew and landed). Hence the name Dzodze.

Production

Dzodze is widely known for palm cultivation, which is further transformed into palm oil, palm wine, Akpteteshie (Local Gin).

Dzodze currently hosts four radio stations, namely Fafa FM, Denyigba radio, Agboo FM and Dzigbordi Radio.

Education

Dzodze has a wide range of educational facilities; kindergarten, Primary Schools, Junior High Schools and one Senior High School (Dzodze-Penyi SHS)

Festival

Dzodze celebrates an annual festival called "Deza" with means "Palm Festival".[5]

References

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Dzodze-Deza-festival-launched-383097?gallery=1

Notes and References

  1. http://ketunorth.ghanadistricts.gov.gh/ Ketu North District
  2. Web site: The Ewe and Fon on west Africa and arara in cuba. live. www.uaa.alaska.edu. https://web.archive.org/web/20000301205646/http://www.uaa.alaska.edu:80/ . 2000-03-01 .
  3. Web site: 1970-01-01 . Dzoddze Ablorme Gets New Traditional Leaders . 2023-06-15 . GhanaWeb . en.
  4. Web site: GTonline . 2022-07-18 . Dzodze instals new paramount chief . 2023-06-15 . Ghanaian Times . en.
  5. Web site: Dzodze Deza festival launched . 21 September 2015 .