Story: Rose Hayford Darko, Tema
THE Ashaiman Divisional Police Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Assistant Superintendent of Police Timothy Dassah, has cautioned drivers to be extra careful on the motorway to reduce the recent spate of accidents on it.
He pointed out that an area on the motorway, 100 metres from Tema and towards the abattoir and after it, had become a ‘death trap’ because of the swiftness of wind on that portion of the road.
ASP Dassah explained that there were no trees to serve as windbreaks and therefore the wind hit the cars directly, causing speeding cars to swerve beyond control, resulting in somersaults.
He noted that various accidents in recent times were the result of loss of control and instability of the vehicles because of the effect of the wind.
ASP Dassah urged drivers on the motorway to be extra cautious and drive within the speed limit of 100 km per hour.
He was of the view that because the road was bare and clear, the drivers speed to the extent that many of them lose concentration.
ASP Dassah said there were road signs on the motorway, which clearly educate the drivers on the stipulated speed at various points.
He was not happy that drivers ignore those signs and time themselves while driving on the motorway and even on other highways.
ASP Dassah noted that drivers must adhere to road signs and abide by them. He disclosed that the police would soon collaborate with the Road Safety Commission to educate the drivers at the various lorry parks on their obligations.
ASP Dassah said it would be difficult to reach private drivers and therefore appealed to the media to assist in educating them through both the electronic and print media to create awareness among them.
He suggested that the horticulture departments of the assemblies must at this time, when the rains have started, plant shady trees to serve as windbreaks on the motorway.
ASP Dassah advised drivers to keep a distance of about 30 metres between moving vehicles to enable them to control eventualities.
He said the police were taking serious view of the situation and would take steps to ensure that discipline prevailed on the motorway.
ASP Dassah denounced the fear that there was some superstition linked to the spate of accidents and urged the public to help educate drivers to keep to the rules and regulations governing driving.
He also appealed to the various drivers unions to educate their members on ensuring sanity on the roads.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAMME FOR GBETSILE (PAGE 11)
Story: Rose Hayford Darko, Tema
A number of residents of Gbetsile, a deprived farming community in the Tema metropolis have resorted to self-medication due to the non-availability of health care facilities in the area and inability of majority of residents to travel long distances to Tema and Ashaiman to access health care.
A study conducted by a medical team indicated that about 80 per cent of the population, majority of whom are women, do not attend hospitals and have developed hypertension and diabetes, which is unknown to them.
The situation prompted a medical team from Progressive Free Health Service, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), to hold an-eight-day medical outreach for more than 700 people drawn from Gbetsile and other communities, including Kakasunanka 1 & 2 and Ashaiman.
With support from a medical doctor, Dr Adrienne Charles and nurses from the Tema General Hospital and the Narh Bita School of Nursing, the team had the beneficiaries go through laboratory checks for diabetes, malaria and blood pressure.
They were also given counselling on how to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS and how to live healthy lives by eating healthy food and cultivating the habit of attending clinics for medical attention.
The week-long exercise, which was co-ordinated by the Optimum Development Impact in Tema, started on April 28, and ended on May 2, 2008.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Mrs Maryann Darko, a US-based Ghanaian physician, later told the Daily Graphic that before the team decided to come to Ghana, an advanced party was sent to conduct studies in some underprivileged communities which did not have access to medical facilities. She said revelations after the study prompted the team to select Gbetsile and its environs for the outreach programme.
Mrs Darko pointed out that all the people attended to were advised to visit the hospital regularly for routine checks, cut down on the intake of carbohydrates, and eat more green vegetables and fruits.
She said those found to be very sick were referred to a medical doctor immediately.
Mrs Darko said the purpose of the programme was to help the people to cultivate the habit of attending hospital not only when they fell seriously sick but also to go for regular medical check-ups.
She commended the people for their co-operation, understanding and massive turnout.
Mrs Darko gave the assurance that the team would return to the country before the end of the year to assess the impact of the programme.
The Gbetsile Mantse, Nii Kwaku Teye, appealed to the medical team to provide the people with drugs during subsequent outreach programmes to ensure that the people had full benefit of the programme.
He advised the people to take the advice given them, stressing that the programme had opened up avenues for him and his elders to embark on a health educational campaign to create the needed awareness.
The people were given educational materials, including pamphlets on diabetes , hypertension and HIV, to assist them in making informed decisions on health issues confronting them.
The CEO of the Optimum Concept, Ms Phylicia Mortey, said the exercise would be extended to other underprivileged communities in the country.
She explained that the team did not provide medication because the exercise was not meant to set up a clinic but to encourage people to attend hospital.
A number of residents of Gbetsile, a deprived farming community in the Tema metropolis have resorted to self-medication due to the non-availability of health care facilities in the area and inability of majority of residents to travel long distances to Tema and Ashaiman to access health care.
A study conducted by a medical team indicated that about 80 per cent of the population, majority of whom are women, do not attend hospitals and have developed hypertension and diabetes, which is unknown to them.
The situation prompted a medical team from Progressive Free Health Service, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), to hold an-eight-day medical outreach for more than 700 people drawn from Gbetsile and other communities, including Kakasunanka 1 & 2 and Ashaiman.
With support from a medical doctor, Dr Adrienne Charles and nurses from the Tema General Hospital and the Narh Bita School of Nursing, the team had the beneficiaries go through laboratory checks for diabetes, malaria and blood pressure.
They were also given counselling on how to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS and how to live healthy lives by eating healthy food and cultivating the habit of attending clinics for medical attention.
The week-long exercise, which was co-ordinated by the Optimum Development Impact in Tema, started on April 28, and ended on May 2, 2008.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Mrs Maryann Darko, a US-based Ghanaian physician, later told the Daily Graphic that before the team decided to come to Ghana, an advanced party was sent to conduct studies in some underprivileged communities which did not have access to medical facilities. She said revelations after the study prompted the team to select Gbetsile and its environs for the outreach programme.
Mrs Darko pointed out that all the people attended to were advised to visit the hospital regularly for routine checks, cut down on the intake of carbohydrates, and eat more green vegetables and fruits.
She said those found to be very sick were referred to a medical doctor immediately.
Mrs Darko said the purpose of the programme was to help the people to cultivate the habit of attending hospital not only when they fell seriously sick but also to go for regular medical check-ups.
She commended the people for their co-operation, understanding and massive turnout.
Mrs Darko gave the assurance that the team would return to the country before the end of the year to assess the impact of the programme.
The Gbetsile Mantse, Nii Kwaku Teye, appealed to the medical team to provide the people with drugs during subsequent outreach programmes to ensure that the people had full benefit of the programme.
He advised the people to take the advice given them, stressing that the programme had opened up avenues for him and his elders to embark on a health educational campaign to create the needed awareness.
The people were given educational materials, including pamphlets on diabetes , hypertension and HIV, to assist them in making informed decisions on health issues confronting them.
The CEO of the Optimum Concept, Ms Phylicia Mortey, said the exercise would be extended to other underprivileged communities in the country.
She explained that the team did not provide medication because the exercise was not meant to set up a clinic but to encourage people to attend hospital.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
MAN ARRESTED FOR STEALING RAIL SLEEPERS (PAGE 29)
Story: Rose Hayford Darko, Tema
THE police in Tema have arrested a 26-year-old man, Abdul Raman, for allegedly stealing two steel sleepers, valued at $100, belonging to the Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL), from a rail line that links the Tema Steel Works and Achimota in Accra.
The suspect was arrested after reports of rampant thefts of rails and steel sleepers by the management of the GRCL.
About 300 steel sleepers were identified on the four-kilometre distance to have been removed from the rail line, which has not been functional for some years now.
The suspect is in police custody and will be put before court for prosecution. The Tema Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Oliver Turkson, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said following the reports, a team of policemen posed as businessmen and showed interest in buying the steel sleepers.
Inspector Turkson said while there, they spotted Raman who surfaced on the rail line and started removing the sleepers.
She said upon negotiation, the suspect agreed on GH¢9 for one steel sleeper. Inspector Turkson said the accomplices of the suspect who assisted in the alleged stealing case escaped arrest when they realised that Raman was in danger. She described steel sleepers as components that, together with knots, are used in the construction of railway lines to support the rail on a rail track.
Inspector Turkson said the police would continue to mount surveillance on the rail lines to ensure that activities of thieves were brought under control because they had a serious adverse effect on the economy.
She warned that any one found operating illegally on the rail lines would be arrested and prosecuted. Inspector Turkson said their activities could thwart the efforts of the government to operationalise the country’s rail system.
She warned that the Police Administration had taken serious view of the situation and would not spare anyone found guilty of the offence.
Meanwhile, the police have intensified their day and night patrol operations in the metropolis and the region at large. Inspector Turkson also cautioned scrap dealers to know the source of the steel items they bought from dealers to avoid being held responsible for the offence.
She appealed to the public to volunteer information to the police on the activities of people who dealt in stolen goods, including scraps, for the law to deal with them.
THE police in Tema have arrested a 26-year-old man, Abdul Raman, for allegedly stealing two steel sleepers, valued at $100, belonging to the Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL), from a rail line that links the Tema Steel Works and Achimota in Accra.
The suspect was arrested after reports of rampant thefts of rails and steel sleepers by the management of the GRCL.
About 300 steel sleepers were identified on the four-kilometre distance to have been removed from the rail line, which has not been functional for some years now.
The suspect is in police custody and will be put before court for prosecution. The Tema Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Oliver Turkson, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said following the reports, a team of policemen posed as businessmen and showed interest in buying the steel sleepers.
Inspector Turkson said while there, they spotted Raman who surfaced on the rail line and started removing the sleepers.
She said upon negotiation, the suspect agreed on GH¢9 for one steel sleeper. Inspector Turkson said the accomplices of the suspect who assisted in the alleged stealing case escaped arrest when they realised that Raman was in danger. She described steel sleepers as components that, together with knots, are used in the construction of railway lines to support the rail on a rail track.
Inspector Turkson said the police would continue to mount surveillance on the rail lines to ensure that activities of thieves were brought under control because they had a serious adverse effect on the economy.
She warned that any one found operating illegally on the rail lines would be arrested and prosecuted. Inspector Turkson said their activities could thwart the efforts of the government to operationalise the country’s rail system.
She warned that the Police Administration had taken serious view of the situation and would not spare anyone found guilty of the offence.
Meanwhile, the police have intensified their day and night patrol operations in the metropolis and the region at large. Inspector Turkson also cautioned scrap dealers to know the source of the steel items they bought from dealers to avoid being held responsible for the offence.
She appealed to the public to volunteer information to the police on the activities of people who dealt in stolen goods, including scraps, for the law to deal with them.
Monday, May 5, 2008
'INCLUDE FIRE HYDRANTS IN SITE PLANS' (PAGE 44)
Story: Rose Hayford Darko, Tema
THE Tema Regional Fire Training Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Mr Prince Billy Anaglate, has advocated the inclusion of fire hydrants in the preparation of all site plans to ensure safety of lives and property in residential areas.
He said because of the cost involved, that important component was left out when developers zoned out their areas and built without making provision for it.
Mr Anaglate was of the view that the practice could be the result of ignorance or mere neglect but noted that it was necessary that hydrants were included at the planning stage of settlements to enable the Fire Service to fight fire in times of its outbreak.
He made the observation when a team of fire men went round the Tema business centre and some communities to locate and service fire hydrants. Many of the hydrants had been covered by silt and the team had some difficulty locating them.
Mr Anaglate said about 80 per cent of fire hydrants had either become ineffective or been sealed in the metropolis, making fire fighting difficult for the service. He said the Tema Office of the GNFS had only one fire engine, which could not fight fire continuously for one hour. Therefore easy access to hydrants was very essential for fire fighting.
The team opened some of the hydrants and made them serviceable, while others could not be opened at all because of rust.
He appealed to all stakeholders in the provision and servicing of hydrants to help the Fire Service to secure life and property. He also advised residents to avoid activities which could lead to fire outbreaks, citing the example of a gas welder found on the Ashaiman Overhead road working close to a LPG cylinder repairer.
He said the danger was high because PG cylinder should be emptied before they were repaired, because the welder constantly used fire, noting that there could easily be an explosion.
Mr Anaglate advised the owner of the repair shop to stop work and relocate for the safety of lives and property.
The Tema Regional Estate Officer of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Mr Abednego Anfu, said the situation would be addressed promptly.
He noted that almost all the hydrants that had been retrieved during the exercise had not had water running through them for many years and, therefore, posed danger to the community.
THE Tema Regional Fire Training Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Mr Prince Billy Anaglate, has advocated the inclusion of fire hydrants in the preparation of all site plans to ensure safety of lives and property in residential areas.
He said because of the cost involved, that important component was left out when developers zoned out their areas and built without making provision for it.
Mr Anaglate was of the view that the practice could be the result of ignorance or mere neglect but noted that it was necessary that hydrants were included at the planning stage of settlements to enable the Fire Service to fight fire in times of its outbreak.
He made the observation when a team of fire men went round the Tema business centre and some communities to locate and service fire hydrants. Many of the hydrants had been covered by silt and the team had some difficulty locating them.
Mr Anaglate said about 80 per cent of fire hydrants had either become ineffective or been sealed in the metropolis, making fire fighting difficult for the service. He said the Tema Office of the GNFS had only one fire engine, which could not fight fire continuously for one hour. Therefore easy access to hydrants was very essential for fire fighting.
The team opened some of the hydrants and made them serviceable, while others could not be opened at all because of rust.
He appealed to all stakeholders in the provision and servicing of hydrants to help the Fire Service to secure life and property. He also advised residents to avoid activities which could lead to fire outbreaks, citing the example of a gas welder found on the Ashaiman Overhead road working close to a LPG cylinder repairer.
He said the danger was high because PG cylinder should be emptied before they were repaired, because the welder constantly used fire, noting that there could easily be an explosion.
Mr Anaglate advised the owner of the repair shop to stop work and relocate for the safety of lives and property.
The Tema Regional Estate Officer of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Mr Abednego Anfu, said the situation would be addressed promptly.
He noted that almost all the hydrants that had been retrieved during the exercise had not had water running through them for many years and, therefore, posed danger to the community.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
METHODIST UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES SRC WEEK (PAGE 11)
Story: Rose Hayford Darko, Tema
The Methodist University College of Ghana (MUCG), Tema campus, has launched its week-long Students Representative Council (SRC) celebrations in Tema, on the theme “Moving from success to significance.”
This was preceded by the election of a four-member executive which has Nana Obrempong Owusu as President, Ms Abena Agyarkoa as Secretary, Mr Moses Yeboah as Treasurer and Ms Peace Ofori as the Women’s Commissioner.
The Chief Manager for Trade, Marketing and Sales Support of the Ghana Telecommunications Company Ltd., Mr Patrick Otieku-Boadu, who performed the launch called on students in institutions of higher learning to start a revolution that will bring progress to the nation.
He observed that institutions of higher learning had been silent and not made the desired impact, and that there was the need for change.
As mature people, he said they must identify their talents to bring about change in the society.
Mr Otieku-Boadu noted that students would need to be creative to tap the resources and opportunities associated with progress, and advised them to make reading a habit and not only for examinations in order to acquire adequate knowledge.
He urged them to leave a legacy by relating their studies to everyday life to change the system.
Mr Otieku-Boadu said that the SRC was important because it had provided opportunities for students to come together to seek their own welfare.
The Vice-Principal of the MUCG, Mr Joshua Kuduadzi, challenged the students to make a difference, avoid being complacent and rather work towards achieving success in future.
The celebration has programmes such as lectures, games and trips to tourist sites.
The SRC President urged the students to put away all differences and support the elected executives, saying as pioneer executives, they needed wisdom, foresight and commitment to provide a good leadership.
The Methodist University College of Ghana (MUCG), Tema campus, has launched its week-long Students Representative Council (SRC) celebrations in Tema, on the theme “Moving from success to significance.”
This was preceded by the election of a four-member executive which has Nana Obrempong Owusu as President, Ms Abena Agyarkoa as Secretary, Mr Moses Yeboah as Treasurer and Ms Peace Ofori as the Women’s Commissioner.
The Chief Manager for Trade, Marketing and Sales Support of the Ghana Telecommunications Company Ltd., Mr Patrick Otieku-Boadu, who performed the launch called on students in institutions of higher learning to start a revolution that will bring progress to the nation.
He observed that institutions of higher learning had been silent and not made the desired impact, and that there was the need for change.
As mature people, he said they must identify their talents to bring about change in the society.
Mr Otieku-Boadu noted that students would need to be creative to tap the resources and opportunities associated with progress, and advised them to make reading a habit and not only for examinations in order to acquire adequate knowledge.
He urged them to leave a legacy by relating their studies to everyday life to change the system.
Mr Otieku-Boadu said that the SRC was important because it had provided opportunities for students to come together to seek their own welfare.
The Vice-Principal of the MUCG, Mr Joshua Kuduadzi, challenged the students to make a difference, avoid being complacent and rather work towards achieving success in future.
The celebration has programmes such as lectures, games and trips to tourist sites.
The SRC President urged the students to put away all differences and support the elected executives, saying as pioneer executives, they needed wisdom, foresight and commitment to provide a good leadership.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Tema regional MTTU holds durbar (PAGE 47)
April 17
Story: Rose Hayford Darko and Anastasia Dzovor, Tema
Officers of the Tema Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) have been asked to extend their duties to include protection of life, giving direction to strangers and assisting children and the aged when they go on road duties.
They must not limit themselves to the enforcement of laws, checks on vehicle documents and arrests alone, the Tema Regional Commander of Police (DCOP) John Kudalor has said.
DCOP Kudalor was addressing officers and men of the unit in the region at a police durbar held in Tema on Friday.
He advised the officers to show respect to road users, explaining that some police personnel on the road were arrogant, rude and indisciplined, traits that gave a bad name to the service.
DCOP Kudalor said some of them arrested vehicles instead of the drivers and inconvenienced passengers.
He said many police stations had been littered with vehicles because of the actions of these personnel and urged them to desist from making such arrests.
DCOP Kudalor said drivers must be held for their own misdeeds and that passengers must not be made to suffer adding that the police must enforce the law in a humane manner to command the respect of the public.
DCOP Kudalor urged police personnel to be a source of encouragement to the public and serve as a morale booster.
He cautioned that his advice must not discourage them but rather strengthen them to do their work creditably.
On the elections, the regional police boss said they must be alert and ensure that they performed creditably.
He commended the personnel for their recent peaceful and successful operation to check drivers’ documents and appealed to them to keep it up.
DCOP Kudalor said the durbar would be made a quarterly event to afford the personnel the opportunity to share ideas and correct the public’s perception of the police.
The Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Joshua Dogbeda, expressed concern about the way radio presenters made announcements before certain cases were reported to the police. He explained that victims of armed robbery, assault and other anti-social events had resorted to going to radio stations to make reports instead of going to the police station or calling the police information room for assistance.
Chief Superintendent Dogbeda observed that the electronic media were at fault because they had made culprits escape arrest.
He appealed to the radio stations to assist the victims to telephone the police and not make announcements on radio with the aim of causing arrests to be made.
The durbar afforded the personnel the opportunity to air some of their personal views on issues which had been agitating them and also made contributions to help the police work effectively.
Story: Rose Hayford Darko and Anastasia Dzovor, Tema
Officers of the Tema Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) have been asked to extend their duties to include protection of life, giving direction to strangers and assisting children and the aged when they go on road duties.
They must not limit themselves to the enforcement of laws, checks on vehicle documents and arrests alone, the Tema Regional Commander of Police (DCOP) John Kudalor has said.
DCOP Kudalor was addressing officers and men of the unit in the region at a police durbar held in Tema on Friday.
He advised the officers to show respect to road users, explaining that some police personnel on the road were arrogant, rude and indisciplined, traits that gave a bad name to the service.
DCOP Kudalor said some of them arrested vehicles instead of the drivers and inconvenienced passengers.
He said many police stations had been littered with vehicles because of the actions of these personnel and urged them to desist from making such arrests.
DCOP Kudalor said drivers must be held for their own misdeeds and that passengers must not be made to suffer adding that the police must enforce the law in a humane manner to command the respect of the public.
DCOP Kudalor urged police personnel to be a source of encouragement to the public and serve as a morale booster.
He cautioned that his advice must not discourage them but rather strengthen them to do their work creditably.
On the elections, the regional police boss said they must be alert and ensure that they performed creditably.
He commended the personnel for their recent peaceful and successful operation to check drivers’ documents and appealed to them to keep it up.
DCOP Kudalor said the durbar would be made a quarterly event to afford the personnel the opportunity to share ideas and correct the public’s perception of the police.
The Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Joshua Dogbeda, expressed concern about the way radio presenters made announcements before certain cases were reported to the police. He explained that victims of armed robbery, assault and other anti-social events had resorted to going to radio stations to make reports instead of going to the police station or calling the police information room for assistance.
Chief Superintendent Dogbeda observed that the electronic media were at fault because they had made culprits escape arrest.
He appealed to the radio stations to assist the victims to telephone the police and not make announcements on radio with the aim of causing arrests to be made.
The durbar afforded the personnel the opportunity to air some of their personal views on issues which had been agitating them and also made contributions to help the police work effectively.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
TOURISM AND NATURAL DISCOVERIES (SHOWBIZ, PAGE 12)
By Rose Hayford Darko
Natural Discoveries form a major component of tourism and has provided many countries with foreign exchange and local earnings contributing to the growth of their economies through the patronage of visitors
Many Ghanaians have enjoyed visiting tourism sites in other countries and have many times expressed the beauty and wonders of these natural fortunes . They have compared them to certain natural discoveries in the country and called on Government to provide same in Ghana to boost tourism in the country .
Ghana abounds in natural discoveries. I remember one ignorant comment passed by a visitor during the Ghana @ 50 celebrations when she said the only great tourism offering for visitors to Ghana was the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. This cannot be true because Ghana has forest reserves ,hills, landscapes, waterfalls, beaches and parks among others.
My recent visit to Ho, in the the Volta Region, gave me a true picture about how natural discoveries are scattered all over the country and how we may be sitting on untapped fortunes.
One such experience l had was while I was on my way to Adidome from Ho and came across the “Adaklu To” as the mountainous range of the Adaklu mountains is called. One side of this range as viewed from Adidome through the Adaklu towns and villages in the Mafi areas caught me gaping. What steep, strange and wonderful arrangements of rocks! The rocks appeared to stand high up on one side while the other side sloped gradually downward.
There are many more of such exciting tourism offerings in the region including the Volta lake tributaries which have canoes at the banks ready to help visitors to have a feel of the canoe ride to the torgodo (beyond the river) bank villages
Another example is the falls at Wli in the Hohoe District where the highest waterfall in West Africa can be found. The 400-metre high Agumatsa Water Falls is an all-year round waterfall discovered in the year 1888 by a hunter whose name was given as Togui Adika.
The waterfall flows from the top of the Asoglo mountain through two seperate ranges, a lower and upper, which allow the water to virtually pour down the mountain slope in torrents. The name Agumatsa was translated to mean ‘open up and let me pass’, referring to the two ranges between which the water forces its way through .
The Asoglo mountain runs through four communities -Afegame , Agoviefe , Dzogbega and Wlitodzi - which form the Wli township. The path to the falls site was bushy and it took about 45 minutes to walk the 4 kilometre distance to the facility site. Before starting the journey, visitors had to pay entrance fees ranging between two and seven Ghana cedis depending on whether they were Ghanaian, adults or foreigners.
An attendant, Ms Regina Daketsey, told me that that revenue accruing from payments made by visitors was shared on percentage basis between the Hohoe District Assembly, the Wildllife Division of the Forestry Department and the four communities. She said the communities have engaged the services of some energetic young men as guides to ensure the safety of visitors at the waterfalls.
She commented on the behaviuor of some local visitors especially students who sometimes ignored all advice and went to the deep areas to swim at the risk of drowning. She called for a serious look at the falls to ensure clean environment and also called for a good reception facility to make visitors comfortable and secure.
Tourism has a lot to offer the nation and one cannot help echoing the concerns of Ms Daketsey and the other staff I met at the falls that a serious look at this facility will help Ghana’s tourism drive. Suggestions have however been made to the authorities to consider possible areas like privatising it to make it more viable.
Natural Discoveries form a major component of tourism and has provided many countries with foreign exchange and local earnings contributing to the growth of their economies through the patronage of visitors
Many Ghanaians have enjoyed visiting tourism sites in other countries and have many times expressed the beauty and wonders of these natural fortunes . They have compared them to certain natural discoveries in the country and called on Government to provide same in Ghana to boost tourism in the country .
Ghana abounds in natural discoveries. I remember one ignorant comment passed by a visitor during the Ghana @ 50 celebrations when she said the only great tourism offering for visitors to Ghana was the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. This cannot be true because Ghana has forest reserves ,hills, landscapes, waterfalls, beaches and parks among others.
My recent visit to Ho, in the the Volta Region, gave me a true picture about how natural discoveries are scattered all over the country and how we may be sitting on untapped fortunes.
One such experience l had was while I was on my way to Adidome from Ho and came across the “Adaklu To” as the mountainous range of the Adaklu mountains is called. One side of this range as viewed from Adidome through the Adaklu towns and villages in the Mafi areas caught me gaping. What steep, strange and wonderful arrangements of rocks! The rocks appeared to stand high up on one side while the other side sloped gradually downward.
There are many more of such exciting tourism offerings in the region including the Volta lake tributaries which have canoes at the banks ready to help visitors to have a feel of the canoe ride to the torgodo (beyond the river) bank villages
Another example is the falls at Wli in the Hohoe District where the highest waterfall in West Africa can be found. The 400-metre high Agumatsa Water Falls is an all-year round waterfall discovered in the year 1888 by a hunter whose name was given as Togui Adika.
The waterfall flows from the top of the Asoglo mountain through two seperate ranges, a lower and upper, which allow the water to virtually pour down the mountain slope in torrents. The name Agumatsa was translated to mean ‘open up and let me pass’, referring to the two ranges between which the water forces its way through .
The Asoglo mountain runs through four communities -Afegame , Agoviefe , Dzogbega and Wlitodzi - which form the Wli township. The path to the falls site was bushy and it took about 45 minutes to walk the 4 kilometre distance to the facility site. Before starting the journey, visitors had to pay entrance fees ranging between two and seven Ghana cedis depending on whether they were Ghanaian, adults or foreigners.
An attendant, Ms Regina Daketsey, told me that that revenue accruing from payments made by visitors was shared on percentage basis between the Hohoe District Assembly, the Wildllife Division of the Forestry Department and the four communities. She said the communities have engaged the services of some energetic young men as guides to ensure the safety of visitors at the waterfalls.
She commented on the behaviuor of some local visitors especially students who sometimes ignored all advice and went to the deep areas to swim at the risk of drowning. She called for a serious look at the falls to ensure clean environment and also called for a good reception facility to make visitors comfortable and secure.
Tourism has a lot to offer the nation and one cannot help echoing the concerns of Ms Daketsey and the other staff I met at the falls that a serious look at this facility will help Ghana’s tourism drive. Suggestions have however been made to the authorities to consider possible areas like privatising it to make it more viable.
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