New Jeaben Prepares for Host Day

A GRi special, BY EDMUND QUAYNOR

 Once in the life of a people or society, certain events do occur which leaves an indelible mark because of the landmarks created.

One such event which is expected to have a lasting effect on the people of New Juaben and its environs is the forthcoming 'Host Day' celebration of the Joint 33rd World Tourism Organisation (WTO) Commission for Africa meeting and the African Travel Association (ATA) 24th International Congress in Accra in May this year.

The 'Host Day' which is scheduled for 4th May is to be held in Koforidua. Ghana is expected to use the day to expose her tourism and cultural potential to the participants of the joint meetings as the host country.

On the Day, all the 1500 participants of the two meetings from all over the world are expected to converge at Koforidua to have a feel of Ghanaian culture and hospitality.

To give the day the attraction that is required, the grand durbar of the chiefs and people of New Juaben which used to be held in the last quarter of the year will be held on 4th May for the benefit of the visitors. Among other events planned for the day is a reception dubbed' A Dine with the King.' The proposed reception is to enable the participants to the two meetings to attend a reception at the over 60-year old renovated palace of the Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area which has been likened to the Buckingham Palace in Africa'.

The guests to the =91Dine with the King' who will be hosted by the Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Dr Oti Boateng will also witness the commissioning of the New Juaben Museum in the Palace.

There will be a photo exhibition of tourism sites in the Eastern Region and other parts of the country. An exhibition of artifacts will be held, while performances will be put up by various cultural groups.

Already buildings and structures along the ceremonial routes which have not seen paint for years, are now being bathed in brilliant colours. To help reduce the cost of the painting of the buildings to the landlords, the New Juaben Municipal Assembly has ordered gallons of paint estimated at over 14 million cedis for sale to the landlords at reduced prices. Some of the structures and kiosks which do not befit the tourists eyes are being removed.

Some lorry parks in the centre of Koforidua are also being relocated to decongest the ceremonial area of the town for the occasion.

The age old Koforidua Jackson's Park which used to be a football park and community playing field is being levelled up for tarring and gravelling to be used for the Grand Durbar of Chiefs for the Most Day. According to the New Juaben Municipal Authorities, all football matches and other games which used to be hosted at the Jackson's Park will now be shifted to the Koforidua Sports Stadium.

The Jackson's Park is to be provided with streets lights, pay telephone booths and stand pipes with water reservoirs. These are to become permanent features of the park for future ceremonies of any dimenssion.

Due to the hosting of the event, the New Juaben Municipal Assembly formed a committee to identify tourism potentials in the Municipality for documentation. The work of the committee had led to the discovery of an alligator pond in the Municipality at Akyekyesu. According to a member of the committee, after the performance of a ritual, a large collection of unhamful alligators with the biggest of them having gold planted in-between the two eyes, craws out of a cave, craws around for sometime and the craws back into the cave as if to show of its splendour.

Similarly, in a village near New Abirim in the Birim North District, a traditional conservation of fish has been discovered. It is said that, fish in the pond is never eaten by the villagers. Any visitor to the place who want to see the fishes is made to spread some crumbs of bread on the water and after a while a school of mudfish of different seizes swims from underneath the pond to eat the crumbs and they swim back. These are but a few of the beauties that have been unearthed as Koforidua prepares to host Host Day.