Ho, Oct 11, GNA - The chiefs and people of Kpalime Traditional Area in the Volta Region on Sunday launched their eighth Kpalikpakpaza festival with a call on the people to harness their human and material resources towards the development of the area.

The Kpalime communities are located in the Ho, Kpando and the newly created South Dayi districts and comprise Wegbe, Todome, Tsatee, Kaira, Toh, Duga, Hiama and Kpale.

Dr Richmond R. P. Nfodwo, Chairman of the Kpalime Development Union, said this year's festival is meant to raise money to provide potable water to six out of the eight Kpalime communities and to build a school at Kpale.

Kpale, which is hosting the festival scheduled for November 13, has no school and pupils have to walk about five kilometres daily to the nearest school.

The people travel about 6 kilometres to draw water from the Volta Lake.

Togbe Kekrebesi VI, Mankrado of Kpale, said the festival marks the valour and bravery exhibited by their ancestors during their migration from Notsie in Togo.

He said he hoped with the tenacity of purpose and unity among the people a firm development agenda would be fashioned out for the rapid development of the area.

Meanwhile, Togbe Dzegbladey IV, Chief of Adaklu-Kodzobi, at the weekend expressed regret at the inability of government officials to honour invitations extended to them by traditional rulers.

Togbe Dzegbladey, who was addressing this year's Bliza (Corn festival) of the chiefs and people of Adaklu-Kodzobi near Ho, appealed to the government to expedite action on the sitting of the district capital for the newly created Adaklu-Anyigbe District because the government's silence on the issue was creating tension in the area. He appealed to the Ho Polytechnic to adopt and nurture the Kodzobi Junior Secondary School into an institution of excellence, advising parents to invest in the welfare and education of the children. Togbe Dzegbladey urged politicians to be circumspect in their utterances in the run-up to the December general elections.