Ghana's Fort Prinzenstein neglected and left to its fate

Correspondence from Volta Region:

As a country with past history of human slavery, Ghana today has several castles and forts which were built by colonial masters hundreds of years ago.

These forts and castles are now well maintained and well publicized tourist attraction sites that draw thousands of holidaymakers and tourists into their vicinity on regular basis.

However, the case is never the same for the one and only fort which is in the Volta Region, Fort Prinzenstein as it is left to the mercy of the sea at Keta.

The fort which was built by the Danes more than 230 years ago is completely out of shape and an inch away from a total collapse.

The fort is noted to have played a significant role in slave trade which involved Europeans in West Africa.

A visit made to the fort by Peter Atsu Ahianyo, GhanaWeb's correspondent for Volta Region exposes the extent of neglect the fort which has been designated as World Heritage Property has suffered.

Fort Prinzenstein just like the other well maintained forts in Ghana could have been a revenue generation machine for the Ghanaian government if the site is properly maintained.

A woman met at the premises of the fort revealed that there are caretakers who charge GHC5 before conducting anyone around the fort. The woman however could not tell where the monies collected are channeled to. The caretakers, unfortunately, were not around during the time of visit for questioning.

Several questions about why the Ghanaian authorities continue to neglect the fort unlike the others in the country remain unanswered.

Joan, a female resident who lives near the fort is of the view that the fort is neglected simply because of its location. She continued that, should the fort be located in either the Greater Accra Region, Ashanti Region or Central Region, it would have been maintained and well packaged for tourists to visit.

Some other residents were also of the view that the fort would have vanished from the world slave map some decades ago if the Keta Sea defense project had not been made as the sea will entirely engulf the fort.