Takla, Asogli State’s crime-free town

Takla’s people are direct descendants of Togbe Klakla from Notsie in the Republic of Togo.

Togbe Klakla was the father of three sons, Kakla Akoe, Kakla Lestu, and Kakla Asor, as well as a daughter, Kala Saa.

Letsu’s ancestors established Kpenoe and Takla.

According to oral tradition, the people of Takla, led by Togbe Atiku, later broke away from Kpenoe to establish their current position some 800 years ago.

Togbe Ayim Adzokoto II is the traditional area’s paramount chief.

Education

Takla’s Evangelical Presbyterian Church (E.P. Church) was founded in 1908, which resulted in the beginning of formal education in the town, which presently has a population of roughly 5,000 people.

Takla may boast of teachers, university lecturers, doctors, lawyers, architects, army officers, high-profile entrepreneurs, nurses, and other public servants as a result of early education.

“The church also instilled discipline in us, and we still adhere to those values,” Togbe Ayim Adzokoto added.

Despite the E.P. Church’s domination in Takla, the inhabitants continue to respect the Afeli divinity, which they have retained over the years.

“Afeli holds us together and ensures stability in Takla,” Togbe Ayim Adzokoto told this reporter during a tour of the town last week Friday.

No crime
Takla is well kept, with well-defined roads, trees at the various public squares and the people, a legacy from the ancestors.

But the greater beauty in Takla is the absence of crime.

“The gods of the land eschew all forms of crime, and for that matter, anyone who comes to Takla with a motive to steal or indulge in other forms of crime will not find his way out of Takla,” Paramount Chief of Takla said.

Asked what happens to the criminals when they are caught, Togbe Ayim Adzokoto said: “No comment.”

Also, irrespective of their social status, all the people of Takla love farming.

The fertile soil guarantees a bountiful harvest of yam, pepper, okro, cassava, garden eggs, maize, rice, plantain,s, and palm fruits.

Sadly, however, the huge harvests are often left on the farms to perish.

This is because the road between Takla and the capital, Ho, which is just a stretch of about five kilometers, is so unmotorable that many vehicles avoid the route.

The friendly people of Takla have allowed other people, including Avenors, Andos and Komkombas to settle in the town as farmers.

Clean

Nonetheless, there is no such thing as a chieftaincy dispute in Takla, a factor contributing to the serenity of the beautiful town.

In their leisure time, the people love their borborbor, zibo and kpalogo dances.

The main homecoming event in Takla is Easter, which is a time to raise money for development projects.

The people of Takla are also known for their self-help spirit, which is evident in a magnificent town hall, and a new four-classroom basic school block, with offices and a toilet; which were built in 2020.

ogbe Ayim Adzokoto stated that next year’s Easter will be used to raise funds for a computer laboratory and a four-unit town-bedroom teachers’ home in Takla.

“This is because we want to retain all our teachers and save them the inconvenience of commuting between Ho and Takla on the bad road daily,” he said.

Furthermore, there is no tension between Christians and traditionalists because they coexist.

“With the prevailing peace and the absence of crime in Takla, what we need most is the fixing of the road between us and Ho, which is just in the vicinity, to enable us to travel to the Ho Central Market to sell out farm produce,” stated the head of the village.

Meanwhile, crocodiles have infested an old dugout in Takla that was built to deliver water to fields.

Traditional officials, on the other hand, consider the phenomenon as a good portent for tourism development.

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