The intriguing story of how Akatsi got its name

In the past, the town used to be known for one of its most distinguishing features, a crossroad, and also for many other significant reasons.

Akatsi, the administrative capital of the Avenor Traditional Area in the Volta Region, used to be known as Mornenu, which translates literally as the ‘four junction.’

Sharing the story of the famous market town in a post on his Facebook page, Selorm Ameza, a digital creator who is also an avid Ewe history storyteller, explained that the town is not only significant for the fact that it is defined by the four junctions, but it is also significant because of how central it is in connecting people to many big towns and cities.

For instance, he said, one of the roads is a major link to the capital city, Accra.

“It is a densely populated country side kind of urban community, and it’s fun and a perfect place to stay and experience great excitement.

“Akatsi used to be known as #Mornenu which literally means “Four Junction”. So Akatsi used to be and is still a Four Juction town with one of the junctions leading to #Tadzewu and #Dzodze”, another leading to #Ziope and #Ho, another one also leading to #Abor to #Agbozume to #Denu to #Aflao as well as #Keta, and the fourth Juction leading to #Sogakope to #Accra,” he wrote.

How the name Akatsi came about:

Selorm explained that the name Akatsi came about after something that turned out to be as a result of the continuous interest of many traders in doing business in the town.

But that was not the biggest aspect of things: the traders kept coming and never returned, or wanted to return.

“So, the Four Junction, then known as Mornenu used to be a Market centre where traders came from villages and towns on all these four roads to come and do batter trade in Akatsi or to buy and sell the goods.

“So, this resulted in traders and business people migrating to Akatsi (Mornenu) and most eventually remained and made families in Akatsi.

“The name AKATSI was a result of how people who came to MORNENU to do business kept postponing their departure dates but eventually got stuck or remained in Akatsi forever,” he added.

How Akatsi became significant:

Selorm Ameza also shared a very interesting story of how the town gained its significance.

According to him, the contributions of a White contractor, who had come to the area to work, added to how the town became a very important one in the area.

He explained it took the intervention of a local worker to work with this contractor called John Miller, to ensure that the town, by dint of its location, took advantage to develop.

“Story has it that the contractor who constructed the Accra to Aflao road is a Whiteman called #John_Miller. He had most of his trusted workers who helped in the construction of the road and one of such people is Mr Amekor, who later came to be known as #PapaMiller.

“Papa Miller in 1948 convinced the Road constructor John Miller whose name he took, to divert the Accra to Aflao road to pass through the Akatsi market which was then in the middle of the town.

“So, then it came for the first Accra to Aflao major road passed through Akatsi before the construction of the new bypass road.

“The road passing through Akatsi gave rise to development as it made the Akatsi market a very busy market since access to the town from Accra to Aflao was solid. Akatsi became the centre or transit point for everyone travelling to any big City from Avenor and Ave towns and villages,” he added.

See Selorm’s full post below:

AE/BOG