Churcher urges Cape Coast citizens to unite

Cape Coast, Jan. 20, GNA - The Minister of Environment and Science, Ms Christine Churcher on Friday urged citizens of Cape Coast to come together and contribute their quota towards the accelerated development of the town.

Ms Churcher, who is also the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast, made the remarks at a sod cutting ceremony to commence rehabilitation works of the "GOTHIC" house, into a modern palace. An estimated ten billion cedis is required to rehabilitate the ancient house, which, was formerly owned by a Cape Coast prosperous palm wine tapper, Mr Jacob Wilson Sey, who was also the founder of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society in the 1890s and transferred to the Gold Coast Government in 1905.

When completed it would serve as a tourist attraction site. The Oguaa Traditional Council had spent 50 million cedis from its own resources to kick-start the rehabilitation works. Mrs Churcher regretted that the ancient city of Cape Coast could boast of being first in everything including education, soccer, tourism and Christianity, yet it was lagging behind in development because of the negative attitude of its people.

The MP said the symbol of Cape Coast which is a crab should rather unite other than disintegrate them, adding that the crab is very protective of one another as well as its habitation and that its shell was to protect it against the "storms of life" and urged citizens to study the characteristics of the crab and adopt them.

Ms Churcher debunked the notion that it was habitual for "crabs to pull each other down" and said it was when they lose their freedom that they fight to regain it and therefore advised the citizens to change their attitude for the better and embrace development.

Professor George Hagan, chairman of the National Commission on Culture, who is also a native of Cape Coast, reiterated calls on citizens to join forces and contribute towards the accelerated development of the area.

He advised them to give honour and respect to their paramount chief and rally behind him to push the development agenda of the Traditional Council forward. An appeal for fund yielded 56 million cedis.